Mother of God

English

Madonna di Macerata by Carlo Crivelli (c. 1470)

Etymology

A calque of Latin Mater Dei and its descendants in other languages, from the Christian concept of the Trinity whereby Jesus as God the Son is identical to God the Father as the single divinity.

Proper noun

(the) Mother of God

1. (Christianity) Synonym of Mary, mother of Jesus, in particular reference to her role as mother of God.

   Synonyms: Christotokos, Holy Mother, Holy Mother of God, Mater Dei, Theotokos

Derived terms

• Holy Mother
• Holy Mother of God

 

Translations

Mary, mother of Jesus, as the mother of God or God-bearer — see also Mary,‎ Our Lady of Sorrows,‎ Queen of Heaven

• Arabic: والدة الإله f (Wālidatu l-ʔIlāhi), ام الاله f (ʔUmmu l-ʔIlāhi), أُمُّ اللهِ (ʔummu llāhi), والِدةُ اللهِ (wālidatu llāhi)
• Aramaic:

  Classical Syriac: ܝܳܠܕܰܬ ܐܰܠܳܗܳܐ (Yoldath Aloho)

• Belarusian: Багародзіца f (Baharódzica), Маці Божая f (Maci Bóžaja), Багама́ці f (Bahamáci)
• Bulgarian: Богоро́дица f (Bogoródica)
• Czech: Matka Boží f, Bohorodička (cs) f
• Esperanto: Dipatrino
• Estonian: Jumalaema
• Finnish: Jumalansynnyttäjä sg, jumalanäiti
• French: Mère de Dieu f
• German: Gottesmutter (de) f, Muttergottes (de) f, Mutter Gottes f; Gottesgebärerin f (Orthodoxy)
• Greek:

  Ancient: θεογεννήτωρ f (theogennḗtōr) (Medieval)

  Modern: Θεοτόκος (el) (Theotókos), θεογεννήτρια (el) f (theogennítria), θεογεννήτρα (el) f (theogennítra)

• Hungarian: Istenanya (literally “Mother of God”), Isten Anyja (literally “Mother of God”), Istenszülő (literally “God-bearer”), Theotokosz (literally “Theotokos”)
• Irish: Máthair Dé
• Italian: Madre di Dio f, Teotoco f, Teotoca f
• Macedonian: Богородица f (Bogorodica), Мајка Божја f (Majka Božja)
• Latin: Deipara f, Dei Genitrix f, Mater Dei f
• Old Church Slavonic: Богородица f (Bogorodica)
• Polish: Bogurodzica (pl) f, Bogarodzica (pl) f, Matka Boża (pl) f, Matka Boska (pl) f, Bogarodzicielka (pl) f, Boża Rodzicielka (pl) f
• Portuguese: Mãe de Deus f, Teótoco f, Deípara f
• Romanian: maica Domnului f
• Russian: Богоро́дица (ru) f (Bogoródica), Богома́терь (ru) f (Bogomáterʹ), Ма́терь Бо́жия f (Máterʹ Bóžija), Ма́терь Бо́жья f (Máterʹ Bóžʹja)
• Scottish Gaelic: Màthair Dhè
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: Бого̀родица f

  Roman: Bogòrodica (sh) f

• Slovak: Bohorodička f, Božia Matka f, Matka Božia f
• Slovene: Bogorodnica f
• Spanish: Madre de Dios f, Deípara f
• Swedish: Guds moder c (formal, Catholicism; otherwise rare)
• Turkish: Tanrı'yı Doğuran, Tanrı'nın Anası
• Ukrainian: Богоро́диця (uk) f (Bohoródycja), Богома́ти f (Bohomáty), Богома́тір (uk) f (Bohomátir), Ма́тір Бо́жа f (Mátir Bóža)

Interjection

Mother of God

1. Said in supplication to Mary.
2. (blasphemous) Synonym of wow, said in surprise.
3. (blasphemous) Synonym of dammit, said in disgust or annoyance.

Derived terms

• Holy Mother
• Holy Mother of God