Macau
/məˈkaʊ/noun
A special administrative region of China on the southern coast, historically a Portuguese trading settlement.
Did you know?The commonly accepted explanation connects Macau with A-Ma, a revered Chinese sea goddess whose temple stood near the harbor before Portuguese arrival.
Etymological Timeline
Before the 16th Century
Cantonese
A-Ma
“A respectful name for Mazu, the Chinese sea goddess”
Before the 16th Century
Chinese
媽祖
“Mazu, literally associated with the ancestral or revered matriarchal goddess”
1550s
Portuguese
Amacao
“Early Portuguese form recorded for the harbor settlement”
16th–17th Century
Portuguese
Macau / Macao
“Name used for the Portuguese settlement and trading port”
Modern English
English
Macau
“The modern English name of the Chinese special administrative region”
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