Where does “Chau” come from?

Chau is an English transliteration of the Cantonese word 周, whose original meaning is uncertain.

Ancestry of “Chau”, step by step

Chau traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese châu

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesechâua province in ancient China and its colonies;...
2Proto-Vieticcuːʔgrandchild; father's younger brother
3Proto-Mon-Khmercuuʔgrandchild

via Cantonese 周

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Cantonese周—
Every word from Proto-Mon-Khmer cuuʔ →Every word from Proto-Vietic cuːʔ →Every word from Vietnamese châu →