# Ryukyu

> English word · Proper noun · IPA /ˈɹjuːkjuː/ · frequency rank #81,788

## Definitions
1. A chain of islands in Japan roughly between Kyushu and Taiwan.

## Etymology
From Japanese 琉球 (Ryūkyū), from Middle Chinese 流求 (MC ljuw gjuw), a Chinese exonym for the island kingdom, of unclear origin. Doublet of Liuqiu.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/ryukyu