maternal vs paternal

maternal and paternal both are adjectives.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
maternal	No	Yes	No	No
paternal	No	Yes	No	No

As adjectives, maternal and paternal are synonyms defined as:

maternal and paternal: relating to or characteristic of or befitting a parent

Other synonyms of maternal include parental.

maternal (adjective)	paternal (adjective)
characteristic of a mother	characteristic of a father
relating to or characteristic of or befitting a parent	relating to or characteristic of or befitting a parent
relating to or derived from one's mother	belonging to or inherited from one's father
related on the mother's side	related on the father's side