A-Ma Temple
/ˌeɪ ˈmɑː ˈtɛm.pəl/noun
A historic Taoist temple in Macau dedicated to Mazu, the Chinese sea goddess.
Did you know?The temple is traditionally associated with Mazu, whose protective cult spread through coastal China and maritime trade networks.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese tradition
Chinese
Mazu
““Ancestral Mother,” the maritime goddess worshiped by sailors and coastal communities”
Ming period
Southern Chinese
A-Má
“A familiar honorific meaning “mother” or “maternal elder,” associated locally with Mazu”
1488
Chinese
媽閣廟
““Temple of the Mother [Goddess],” the traditional Chinese name for the shrine”
16th Century
Portuguese
Amacao
“A Portuguese rendering associated with the temple area; it contributed to the name Macau”
16th–17th Century
English
Macau
“The English form of the place-name for the Chinese port traditionally linked to A-Ma Temple”
Modern English
English
A-Ma Temple
“The established English name for the historic temple at Barra, Macau”