Macau

== Etymology ==
{{main|Names of Macau}}
{{Infobox Chinese
| t = {{linktext|澳門}}
| s = {{linktext|澳门}}
| l = Bay Gate
| p = Àomén
| w = {{tone superscript|Ao4-men2}}
| h = Au<sup>4</sup> mun<sup>2</sup>
| mi = {{IPAc-cmn|ao|4|.|m|en|2}}
| y = Oumún
| ci = {{IPAc-yue|ou|3|.|m|un|2}}
| j = ou3 mun2
| gd = {{tone superscript|Ou3mun4*2}}
| wuu = au<sup>去</sup>men<sup>平</sup>
| poj = Ò-mn̂g
| buc = Ó̤-muòng
| altname = Macau Special Administrative Region
| t2 = 澳門特別行政區 (or 澳門特區)
| s2 = 澳门特别行政区 (or 澳门特区)
| p2 = Àomén Tèbié Xíngzhèngqū (Àomén Tèqū)
| w2 = {{tone superscript|Ao4-men2 T}}{{wg-apos}}{{tone superscript|e4-pieh2 Hsing2-cheng4-ch}}{{wg-apos}}{{tone superscript|ü1 (Ao4-men2 T}}{{wg-apos}}{{tone superscript|e4 Ch}}{{wg-apos}}{{tone superscript|ü1)}}
| y2 = Oumún Dahkbiht Hàhngjing Keūi
| ci2 = {{IPAc-yue|ou|3|.|m|un|2|-|d|ak|6|.|b|it|-|h|ang|4|.|z|ing|3|-|k|eoi|1|}}
| j2 = ou3 mun2 dak6 bit6 hang4 zing3 keoi1
| gd2 = {{tone superscript|Ou3mun>4*2 Deg6bid6 Heng4jing3 Kêu1}}
| h2 = Au<sup>4</sup>mun<sup>2</sup> Tet<sup>6</sup>piet<sup>6</sup> hang<sup>2</sup>zin<sup>4</sup>ki<sup>1</sup><br /> (Au<sup>4</sup>mun<sup>2</sup> Tet<sup>6</sup>ki<sup>1</sup>)
| wuu2 = au<sup>去</sup>men<sup>平</sup> deh<sup>入</sup>bih<sup>入</sup> ghan<sup>平</sup>tsen<sup>去</sup>chiu<sup>平</sup>
| poj2 = Ò-mn̂g Te̍k-pia̍t Hêng-chèng-khu
| xej = اَوْمٍ
| languages = [[Cantonese language|Cantonese]]<br />[[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]<br />[[English]]
| por = Região Administrativa Especial de Macau<br/>{{noitalics|{{IPA-pt|ʁɨʒiˈɐ̃w ɐðminiʃtɾɐˈtivɐ ɨʃpɨsiˈal dɨ mɐˈkaw|}}}}
| c = 
| bpmf = ㄠˋ ㄇㄣˊ
| tp = Ào-mén
| mi2 = {{IPAc-cmn|ao|4|.|m|en|2|-|t|e|4|.|b|ie|2|-|x|ing|2|.|zh|eng|4|.|qu|1}} ({{IPAc-cmn|ao|4|.|m|en|2|-|t|e|4|.|qu|1}})
| bpmf2 = ㄠˋ ㄇㄣˊ ㄊㄜˋ ㄅㄧㄝˊ ㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄓㄥˋ ㄑㄩ (ㄠˋ ㄇㄣˊ ㄊㄜˋ ㄑㄩ)
| tp2 = Ào-mén Tè-bié Síng-jhèng-cyu (Ào-mén Tè-cyu)
}}

The first known written record of the name "Macau", rendered as "A Ma Gang" ({{lang|zh-hant|亞/阿-媽/馬-港}}), is found in a letter dated 20 November 1555. The local inhabitants believed that the sea goddess [[Mazu (goddess)|Matsu]] (alternatively called A-Ma) had blessed and protected the harbour and referred to the waters around [[A-Ma Temple]] by her name.<ref name="WuJinEtymology">{{harvnb|Wu|Jin|2014}}.</ref> When Portuguese explorers first arrived in the area and asked for the place name, the locals thought they were asking about the temple and told them it was "Ma Kok" ({{lang|zh-hant|媽閣}}).<ref>{{harvnb|Hao|2011|pp=12–13}}.</ref> The earliest Portuguese spelling for this was ''Amaquão''. Multiple variations were used until ''Amacão / Amacao'' and ''Macão / Macao'' became common during the 17th century.<ref name="WuJinEtymology" /> 

The 1911 [[Reforms of Portuguese orthography|reform of Portuguese orthography]] standardised the spelling as ''Macau''; however, the use of ''Macao'' persisted in English and other European languages.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.visitmacao.com.au/macao-tourism-blog/faq/is-it-macau-or-macao/ |title=Is it Macau or Macao? |date=4 September 2019 |publisher=Visit Macao |access-date=16 May 2020 |archive-date=1 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200301045622/https://www.visitmacao.com.au/macao-tourism-blog/faq/is-it-macau-or-macao/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Macau Peninsula]] had many names in Chinese, including ''Jing'ao'' ({{lang|zh-hant|井澳/鏡澳}}), ''Haojing'' ({{lang|zh-hant|濠鏡}}), and ''Haojing'ao'' ({{lang|zh-hant|濠鏡澳}}).<ref name="WuJinEtymology" /><ref name="ChineseEtymology">{{harvnb|Hao|2011|pp=15–16}}.</ref> The islands [[Taipa]], [[Coloane]], and [[Hengqin]] were collectively called ''Shizimen'' ({{lang|zh-hant|十字門}}). These names would later become ''Ou mún'' ({{lang|zh-hant|澳門}}), ''Aomen'' in Mandarin and translating as "bay gate" or "port gate", to refer to the whole territory.<ref name="ChineseEtymology" />