裙帶路

Probably analysable as 裙帶／裙带 (“band of the skirt”) + 路 (“road”), literally translated as "Petticoat String Road" in early English sources. Attested in Chinese government documents in 1841, the year the British military occupied Hong Kong Island. Variously attested as 群帶路／群带路 and 群大路. The Hongkong Gazette published in May 1841 records that 群大路 Kwun-tai-loo was a fishing village with a population of 50.

Numerous folk etymologies surrounding the name exist. As early as 1873, it was suggested in The China Review that the name was originally 君大路 (literally “Queen Great Road”), which referred to Queen's Road. However, Queen's Road was named in March 1842. Another folk etymology derives the name from the tale of a Tanka woman named 阿群 who guided the British military from the southern part of Hong Kong Island to its northern coast (帶路／带路). However, the name probably predates British colonization of Hong Kong, and this folk etymology likely stems from a rebracketing of the word as 群 + 帶路／带路.

裙帶路

1. (historical) an area located on the western half of the northern coast of Hong Kong Island; Victoria, Hong Kong
   • 1841 February 18, 琦善 , “琦善奏查明香港地勢及現在籌辦情形摺”, in 籌辦夷務始末, volume 23, page 32:

     兹蒙垂詢香港地勢情形，查香港離省四百六十里，孤懸海外，較澳門為尤遠，祇係全島中之一隅。其餘毗連者，又名大潭，又名裙帶路，又名赤柱，又名紅香爐。
     兹蒙垂询香港地势情形，查香港离省四百六十里，孤悬海外，较澳门为尤远，祇系全岛中之一隅。其余毗连者，又名大潭，又名裙带路，又名赤柱，又名红香炉。

     Zī méng chuíxún Xiānggǎng dìshì qíngxíng, chá xiānggǎng lí shěng sì bǎi liùshí lǐ, gūxuán hǎiwài, jiào Àomén wéi yóu yuǎn, qí xì quán dǎo zhōng zhī yī yú. Qíyú pílián zhě, yòu míng Dàtán, yòu míng Qúndàilù, yòu míng Chìzhù, yòu míng Hóngxiānglú.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)