إِلَاهَة
ʔilāhafeminine
The English word 'goddess' is translated into Arabic as إِلَاهَة (ʔilāha). Wiktionary also lists إِلٰهَة (ʔilāha).
Meaning: female deity (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| إِلَاهَة | ʔilāha | feminine |
| إِلٰهَة | ʔilāha |
إِلَاهَة is used to refer to a female deity.
Which one should you use?
The feminine form ʔilāha is distinguished from the masculine ilāh by the addition of the feminine marker ة at the end.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
ʔilāha
Did you know?
- In many Arabic-speaking cultures, calling a woman an إِلَاهَة is not a compliment but could be seen as an expression of blasphemy.
- An Arabic speaker might use the term ربة ('lady' or 'mistress') to describe a female deity, which creates a linguistic overlap between 'divine ruler' and 'woman of the house'.
- Ancient South Arabian inscriptions used related root words to describe goddesses like al-maqah, showing that the concept of a female deity predates the classical Arabic standard used today.
Examples in context
- عُبَدَتْ الإلهة بعدة ثقافات وأديان.The goddess was worshipped in various cultures and religions.
- هي إِلَاهَة في الأساطير القديمة.hiya ilāhatun fī al-asātīri al-qadīma.She is a goddess in ancient myths.
Example conversation
Maryam and Ziad are visiting a museum of ancient history.
- مريم Maryamانظر يا زياد، هذا تمثال لإِلَاهَة يونانية.Unẓur yā Ziyād, hādhā timthāl li-ilāha yūnāniyya.Look Ziad, this is a statue of a Greek goddess.
- زياد Ziadتبدو جميلة جداً، من هي؟Tabdū jamīla jiddan, man hiya?She looks very beautiful, who is she?
- مريم Maryamإنها إِلَاهَة الحكمة.Innahā ilāhat al-hikma.She is the goddess of wisdom.
- زياد Ziadتاريخ هذه الحضارة مذهل حقاً.Tārīkh hādhihi al-haḍāra mudhhil haqqan.The history of this civilization is truly amazing.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “goddess” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
