νονός
nonósmasculine
The Greek word for godfather is νονός (nonós).
νονός refers to a man present at the christening of a baby who promises to help raise the child in a Christian manner.
Meaning: man present at the christening of a baby who promises to help raise the child in a Christian manner (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
nonós
Did you know?
- The term νονός might be onomatopoeic, potentially mimicking the sound of a baby's first cries or the repetitive syllables used to soothe an infant.
- In Greece, the relationship between a godparent and the child's parents is so significant that they are called koumbari (for men) or koumbara (for women).
- In certain Greek traditions, the godfather may even be asked to participate in specific rituals to 'protect' the child from the 'evil eye'.
Examples in context
- Ο νονός πρέπει να παριστάξει στην εκκλησία.O nonos prepei na paristaxei stin ekklisia.The godfather must be present at the church.
Example conversation
Dimitris and Eleni are discussing the christening of a relative.
- Δημήτρης DimitrisΈχεις αποφασίσει ποιος θα είναι ο νονός;Echeis apofasisei poios tha einai o nonos?Have you decided who the godfather will be?
- Ελένη EleniΝαι, ο αδερφός μου θα είναι ο νονός.Nai, o aderfos mou tha einai o nonos.Yes, my brother will be the godfather.
- Δημήτρης DimitrisΕίναι πολύ καλή επιλογή για το μωρό.Einai poly kali epilogi gia to moro.That is a very good choice for the baby.
- Ελένη EleniΣυμφωνώ, είναι πολύ στοργικός άνθρωπος.Symfono, einai poly storgikos anthropos.I agree, he is a very affectionate person.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “godfather” translations and entries νονός, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries νονός, CC BY-SA 4.0.
