Yemọja

Yoruba

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

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