Matuszka – (nie tylko) żona prawosławnego duchownego

Abstract

Russian world „matushka” which means mother or dear element of nature or word (like Matushka‑Russia), has also a meaning important from the point of view of the Orthodox theology. It means the Orthodox nun after the monastic vows or – rarer – a saint woman. Sometimes it’s used also as an epithet of Saint Mary. But most commonly this word is used in the meaning of Orthodox priest’s wife. The article is focused on that last meaning and it also shortly presents two other meanings: the nun and the saint woman (Matrona of Moscow is presented as an example).

Keywords

• matushka
• meaning of the word matushka
• Orthodox priest’s wife
• nun after vows
• matushka’s role