Theotokos

English

Alternative forms

• Theotocos

Etymology

Borrowed from Koine Greek Θεοτόκος (Theotókos, “the God-bearer”), from Ancient Greek Θεός (Theós, “God”) + τόκος (tókos, “childbirth”). First attested in 3rd–4th century. Cf. Christotokos.

Pronunciation

• Traditional: IPA^(key): /θiːˈɒtəˌkɒs/
• Hellenizing: IPA^(key): /ˌθeɪoʊˈtoʊkoʊs/

Proper noun

(the) Theotokos

1. (Christianity, chiefly Orthodoxy) Synonym of Mary, mother of Jesus, in particular reference to her role giving birth to God.

   Synonyms: Deipara, Mother of God

   • 1866, John Henry Newman, D.D., A Letter to the Rev. E. B. Pusey, D.D. on His Recent Eirenicon, London: Longmans, Green, Reader, and Dyer, page 66:

     It is then an integral portion of the Faith fixed by Ecumenical Council, a portion of it which you hold as well as I, that the Blessed Virgin is Theotocos, Deipara, or Mother of God; and this word, when thus used, carries with it no admixture of rhetoric, no taint of extravagant affection,—it has nothing else but a well-weighed, grave, dogmatic sense […]

Derived terms

• Intercession of the Theotokos

 

Translations

Mary, mother of Jesus, as God-bearer — see also Mary,‎ Mother of God

Note: Only titles directly borrowed from the Greek or that literally mean "God-bearer" should go here. Translations that simply mean Mother of God in the language in question should go at that entry.

• Albanian: Hyjlindëses f
• Arabic: والدة الإله f (Wālidatu l-ʔIlāhi), ام الاله f (ʔUmmu l-ʔIlāhi)
• Aramaic:

  Classical Syriac: ܝܳܠܕܰܬ ܐܰܠܳܗܳܐ (Yoldath Aloho)

• Belarusian: Багаро́дзіца f (Baharódzica), Маці Божая f (Maci Bóžaja)
• Bulgarian: Богоро́дица f (Bogoródica)
• Estonian: Jumalasünnitaja
• Finnish: Jumalansynnyttäjä sg
• French: Théotokos f
• German: Gottesgebärerin f
• Greek: Θεοτόκος (el) (Theotókos)
• Hungarian: Istenszülő (literally “God-bearer”), Theotokosz (literally “Theotokos”)
• Italian: Teotoco f, Teotoca f
• Latin: Deipara f, Dei Genitrix f, Theotocus
• Macedonian: Богородица f (Bogorodica)
• Old Church Slavonic: Богородица f (Bogorodica)
• Polish: Bogurodzica (pl) f, Bogarodzica (pl) f
• Portuguese: Teótoco f, Deípara f
• Russian: Богоро́дица (ru) f (Bogoródica)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: Бого̀родица f

  Roman: Bogòrodica (sh) f

• Slovak: Bohorodička f
• Slovene: Bogorodnica f
• Spanish: Deípara f
• Turkish: Tanrı'yı Doğuran, Tanrı'nın Anası
• Ukrainian: Богоро́диця (uk) f (Bohoródycja)