Paternal is fatherly, from the Latin word for father: pater. It's more specific than parental, just like it's converse maternal or motherly.
If something is paternal, it's parental, but something parental isn't necessary paternal.
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Common Grammar Mistakes
RandomA collection of common grammar mistakes I run into in stories. I know this will probably not be read but I need somewhere to kind of vent.
Parental vs Paternal
Paternal is fatherly, from the Latin word for father: pater. It's more specific than parental, just like it's converse maternal or motherly.
If something is paternal, it's parental, but something parental isn't necessary paternal.