The generic forms of Hong Kong place names are mainly Cantonese, Hakka and British English, although other languages also contribute to Hong Kong place names.
The majority of generic forms are suffix such as Chung in Kwai Chung. Some indicators of ordering and direction could be as prefixes, for example, Tai Pai (大白, lit. first white), Yi Pai (二白, second white).
Changes in place names It is common practice in Cantonese communities to change and swap Chinese characters of similar pronunciations because of misinterpretation by different ruling governments over time or visitors from foreign villages and cities, illiteracy of local villages before the economic boom, seeking of good fortune and to replace 'bad sounding' words by using characters with a more positive meaning.
List of generic names Indigenous Name Character Meaning Am, Ngam 岩 rock, rock face, crag Au 坳 or 凹 mountain pass Chai/Tsai 仔 small/minor, word suffix indicating a diminutive. Chai 寨 defensed village Chau 洲 islet, island Che 輋 place near hill/mountain Chung 涌 estuarial lagoon at mouth or confluence of stream, stream Ha 下 lower Hang 坑 valley Hau 口 opening Heung 鄉 village, rural area Ho 河 river Hoi 海 sea Hom 磡 pillar, mill-stone Hui 墟 market, locality within a town Kai 街 street Kan 澗 stream Kap 甲 something that sticks out, bulge, appendage. Kau 滘 basin Kiu 橋 bridge Ko Tan 高灘 elevated plain Kok 角 point (of land), horn, angle Kuk 谷 valley Lam 林 wood or forest Leng/Ling 嶺 hill-top, ridge Long narrow elongated valley between hills Lo Wai 老圍 old walled village Mei 尾 tail (of a place) Mun 門 door/gate, opening, channel O 澳 cove, small bay or harbour Pai 排 slab (of rock), (rocky) reef. Pik 壁 cliff Ping 坪 plain Po 埗 pier Po 埔 plain (?) Pun 盤 basin San Tsuen 新村 new village Sha 沙 sand, sandy beach, sandy cay or shoal Shan 山 hill, mountain, mountainous island/islet Shek 石 rock Sheung 上 upper Shing 城 walled city Shui 水 water, stream Tam 潭 pool Tan 灘 beach or shallow band Tau 頭 head (of a place) Tei 地 land, place Tin 田 field (flooded or dry) To 島 island To 肚 valley Tong 塘 pond, plain Tong 堂 hall Tun 墩 small (usually rounded) hill Tung 洞 cave (and ?) Tung 峒 Tsim 尖 sharp, sharp peak Tsui 咀/嘴 pointed headland Tsuen 村 village Tuk 篤 the very end (of a place) Wai 圍 walled village Wan 灣 bay Wan 環 district Wo 窩 basin, hollow, coombe Yiu 窰 kiln
English Most common Chinese translation in brackets.
Modern Most common Chinese translation in brackets. Centre (中心) Court (苑) Estate (邨) Plaza (廣場) Shopping centre (商場)
See also
Origins of names of cities and towns in Hong Kong List of generic forms in place names in Great Britain and Ireland
References