Yemọja

Yoruba

Ère Yemọja nílẹ̀ Bùràsíìlì

Etymology

From iye (“Mother”) +‎ ọmọ (“child”) +‎ ẹja (“fish”), literally “Mother of the fishes”, this etymology is also said to be a metaphor relating to the fact that Yemọja is a mother to children as numerous as all the fish of the oceans.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /jē.mɔ̃̄.d͡ʒā/

Proper noun

Yemọja

1. A powerful river orisha of creation, water, fertility, motherhood, sometimes regarded as the adoptive mother of all the orisha. She is believed to be the spirit of the Ògùn river.

   Synonyms: Yèyé omi, Olúẹri, Olódo

Derived terms

• oníyemọja (“A priestess of Yemọja”)

Descendants

• → Portuguese: Yemanjá, Iemanjá, Iemenjá
• → Spanish: Yemayá, Yemallá
• → English: Yemoja
• Lucumí: Yemayá