Ao

Ao

1. (chemistry, obsolete) acton; obsolete form of An (“actinon”) (radon-219)
2. (chemistry, obsolete) ausonium; obsolete form of Np (“neptunium”) a rejected name for Np (“element-93”)

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Ao pl (plural only)

1. A tribe living primarily in the state of Nagaland in India.

Ao

1. Their language, belonging to the Tibeto-Burman language family.

• Ethnologue entry for Ao, njo ⁠

From atonal romanization of the Mandarin pronunciation of Chinese 鰲 / 鳌 (Áo) and 敖 (Áo).

• enPR: ou

Ao

1. A river in Zhejiang, China.
   • 2004 July 3, Ray Cheung, “Polluted pig-leather capital is cleaned up”, in South China Morning Post‎^[1], →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 24 November 2023‎^[2]:

     To produce leather goods, plants dumped an estimated 8,000 tonnes of waste a day into the Ao River, transforming its once-clear waters into a foul-smelling cesspool.

2. A river in Fujian, China.
   • 1998, Fuzhou Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment Project in the People's Republic of China‎^[3], Asian Development Bank, →OCLC, pages 10, 17:

     The Ao River currently provides water for Lianjian^{[sic – meaning Lianjiang]} County, irrigation for agriculture, water to villages for drinking, to fish farms, animal farms, and industries. Before the construction of the Shanzai dam the dry season flow in the Ao River at the water works at downstream Lianjian^{[sic – meaning Lianjiang]} County has fallen so low (to 8.5m³/sec) that it was necessary to limited the water intake rate to the water works. […] (iii) obtain how data or the Ao River at Lianjian^{[sic – meaning Lianjiang]} County from the Fujian Provincial Hydrology Department to monitor the effect of water diversion from the Tang Ban Reservoir on the quality and quantity of downstream water; […]

   • [2021 December 12, “Three ordinary Taiwan locals who made new lives across the Strait”, in huaxia, editor, Xinhua News Agency‎^[4], archived from the original on 8 April 2023‎^[5]:

     Chiang said her father was born in Lianjiang, and he knew very well that if there was no dike, places like Gui'an and Taoyuan villages would be flooded every year.
     "Just a while ago, when it rained heavily, waterlogging can be seen in many places. At that time, I was looking at the course of the Aojiang River, when I suddenly realized that we were defending our homeland."]

• Aojiang, Aokiang, Ao-chiang

From atonal romanization of the Mandarin pronunciation of Chinese 敖 (Áo).

• enPR: ou

Ao (plural Aos)

1. A surname from Chinese.

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Ao is the 41,501^st most common surname in the United States, belonging to 524 individuals. Ao is most common among Asian/Pacific Islander (94.08%) individuals.

• Hanks, Patrick, editor (2003), “Ao”, in Dictionary of American Family Names, volume 1, New York: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 46.

Borrowed from Cantonese 歐 / 欧 (au¹) or Cantonese 區 / 区 (au1). Doublet of Au.

Ao (plural Aos)

1. (chiefly Macau) A surname from Chinese.

Ao

1. (anatomy) Abbreviation of aorta.

• AAo, DAo

• OA

• IPA^(key): /à.ō/

Ào

1. A Yoruba dialect spoken by some members of the Àkókó subethnic group, consisting of several subdialects including Amùsìgbó, (spoken by the people of Ìdóàní). It is also spoken by the Àfò, Ìpèsì, Ikún, Imerì, Ìdógún, and Ìfira towns in Ondo State.