Mother of God

English

Madonna di Macerata by Carlo Crivelli (c. 1470)

Etymology

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

2. (Christianity) A dogmatic title of Mary, mother of Jesus, in particular reference to her role as mother of God (God the Son).

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

   Coordinate term: God the Father

Derived terms

• Holy Mother
• Holy Mother of God

Translations

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

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

  Classical Syriac: ܝܳܠܕܰܬ ܐܰܠܳܗܳܐ (Yoldath Aloho)

• Belarusian: Багаро́дзіца f (Baharódzica), Ма́ці Бо́жая f (Máci Bóžaja), Бо́жая Ма́ці f (Bóžaja Máci), Багама́ці f (Bahamáci)
• Bulgarian: Богоро́дица f (Bogoródica)
• Catalan: Mare de Déu
• Czech: Matka Boží f, Bohorodička (cs) f
• Esperanto: Dipatrino
• Estonian: jumalaema
• Finnish: Jumalansynnyttäjä sg, jumalanäiti
• French: Mère de Dieu f
• Georgian: ღვთისმშობელი (ɣvtismšobeli)
• German: Gottesmutter (de) f, Muttergottes (de) f, Mutter Gottes f
• 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”)
• Irish: Máthair Dé
• Italian: Madre di Dio f
• Latin: Mater Dei f
• Macedonian: Богородица f (Bogorodica), Мајка Божја f (Majka Božja)
• Old Church Slavonic: Богородица f (Bogorodica)
• Old Tupi: Tupã sy
• 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
• 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: ^{(please verify)} Bogorodica f, ^{(please verify)} Bogorodnica f
• Spanish: Madre de Dios f
• Swedish: Guds moder c (formal, Catholicism; otherwise rare)
• Tagalog: Mahal na Ina (literally “Beloved Mother”)
• 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. (Christianity) Said in supplication to Mary.

   Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of death. Amen.

2. (blasphemous) An expression of surprise.

   Near-synonyms: Jesus, Mary and Joseph; wow; see also Thesaurus:wow

   And your husband's parents were in the earthquake zone? Mother of God! Did they survive?

   • 1990, Karen Lawrence, Springs of Living Water, New York, NY: Villard Books, →ISBN, page 47:

     “What a place!” her mother had exclaimed, when they finally arrived after almost a week of driving. “Sensational! Smell that? Eucalyptus trees! Mother of God, I feel a hundred percent better already, I swear it. And a big nice pool for you—two of them, will you look at that. Now how could anybody stay sick in a place like this, I ask you?”

3. (blasphemous) An expression of disgust, annoyance, or disappointment.

   Synonyms: dammit; see also Thesaurus:dammit

   Mother of God! I've had it up to here with your bullshit!

   • 1978 October, Johanna Lindsey, A Pirate's Love, New York, NY: Avon Books, →ISBN, page 51:

     “Mother of God! You should have asked me before you released that old woman. Now I can expect the wrath of hell to fall on my head when I walk through that door!” Tristan exclaimed, nodding at his cabin.

Derived terms

• Holy Mother
• Holy Mother of God

Further reading

• “Mother of God”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
• “Mother of God”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “Mother of God” (US) / “Mother of God” (UK) in Macmillan English Dictionary.