Great Mother
- proper noun
:
Gran Madre
- The teachings of eco-spirituality often reflect deep reverence for the Great Mother and her nurturing spirit.
Examples
-
No, Great Mother.
-
Many cultures celebrate the Great Mother as the embodiment of nature and fertility.
-
What does the Great Mother want from me?
-
Oh, thank you, Great Mother.
-
Oh, Great Mother, help us!
-
I have been a good wife and a great mother.
Blog text (19) -
The Great Mother... holds all her children... in her heart.
-
Thank you, Great Mother.
-
Oh, Great Mother.
-
Oh, Great Mother!
Synonyms
47
9.9
A Greek goddess who is the earth and mother of the Titans
8
8.9
A Greek goddess who is the Earth and mother of the Titans
3
9.9
The Greek earth goddess who is mother of Cronus and the Titans
1
8.5
A female spirit who represents the Earth and gives life and fertility
1
7.6
A female spirit who is linked to the earth and helps plants grow
A female being who people believe looks after the earth, plants, and crops
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase literally combines 'great' (important/major) and 'mother' (female parent), so a learner who knows both words will likely infer an important or archetypal mother figure. However, the specific cultural meaning 'Earth personified as a nurturing mother goddess' and its eco-spiritual connotations are specialized and not fully predictable from the constituents alone, so a B1 learner may not arrive at the precise referent without prior exposure.
Etymology
Today, Great Mother is used by some people to picture the Earth as a caring mother who looks after forests, rivers and all living things, so the name is a symbol for 'nature' and the 'living planet'.