*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of Matsu

From the Wade–Giles romanization of Mandarin pronunciation for 馬祖 (Ma³-tsu³).

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
name

. · An island of Lienchiang County, Taiwan, also known as Nangan. · A strait between Beigan and Nangan in Lienchiang County, Taiwan (ROC).

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From the Wade–Giles romanization of Mandarin pronunciation for 馬祖 (Ma³-tsu³).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "cmn-wadegiles",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Wade–Giles"
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "cmn",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Mandarin"
    },
    {
      "name": "zh-l",
      "args": {
        "1": "*馬祖",
        "tr": "Ma³-tsu³"
      },
      "expansion": "馬祖 (Ma³-tsu³)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "馬祖",
      "馬祖#Chinese"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        ".",
        "An island of Lienchiang County, Taiwan, also known as Nangan.",
        "A strait between Beigan and Nangan in Lienchiang County, Taiwan (ROC)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "error-lua-exec",
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
name

Alternative form of Mazu (goddess).

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From the Wade–Giles romanization of Mandarin 媽祖/妈祖 (Māzǔ).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    {
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "cmn-wadegiles",
        "3": "-"
      },
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    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "cmn",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Mandarin"
    },
    {
      "name": "zh-l",
      "args": {
        "1": "媽祖"
      },
      "expansion": "媽祖/妈祖 (Māzǔ)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "媽祖",
      "媽祖#Chinese"
    ],
    [
      "妈祖",
      "妈祖#Chinese"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative form of Mazu (goddess)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ],
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  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for Matsu →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-TWF0c3U