English
Lantau
Lantau comes from Cantonese 爛頭.
- Cantonesemodern爛頭laan⁶ tau⁴literally ‘broken head’
- Englishearliest quotation 1964Lantau
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Cantonesemodern爛頭laan⁶ tau⁴literally ‘broken head’
- Englishearliest quotation 1964Lantau
Earliest quotation: 1964, J. W. Hayes, Notes and Queries: The Tung Chung Fort: “In the later Ching period there were at least…”
The story
Borrowed from Cantonese 爛頭 /烂头 (laan⁶ tau⁴, literally “broken head”), referring to the Lantau Peak on the island.
Every English word from Cantonese 爛頭
Today it means
name Synonym of Lantau Island.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Cantonese 爛頭 / Lantau