琉
precious stone, gem, lapis lazuli
Readings
On'yomi
- リュウ
- ル
Kun'yomi
—
Meaning
琉 centers on a type of precious stone, specifically lapis lazuli, a deep blue gem. The meaning extends naturally to gems in general.
Most common words using 琉
20 of 38- 琉球りゅうきゅう
Ryukyu; chain of southwestern Japanese islands comprising Okinawa Prefecture
- 琉球大学りゅうきゅうだいがく
University of the Ryukyus
- 三筋琉球雀鯛みすじりゅうきゅうすずめだい
whitetail dascyllus (Dascyllus aruanus); humbug dascyllus; banded dascyllus; white-tailed damselfish
- 中琉文化経済協会ちゅうりゅうぶんかけいざいきょうかい
Sino-Ryukyuan Cultural and Economic Association (previous name of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office)
- 日琉祖語にちりゅうそご
Proto-Japonic (language); Proto-Japanese; Proto-Japanese-Ryukyuan
- 日琉語族にちりゅうごぞく
Japanese-Ryukyuan languages; Japonic languages
- 琉歌りゅうか
Okinawan fixed form poetry
- 琉球人りゅうきゅうじん
Ryukyuan (person)
- 琉球使節りゅうきゅうしせつ
Ryukyuan mission to Edo
- 琉球処分りゅうきゅうしょぶん
Disposition of Ryukyu; forced assimilation of Okinawa into Japan, ending its tributary relations with China and abolishing the Ryukyu Kingdom (1872-1879)
- 琉球出兵りゅうきゅうしゅっぺい
Invasion of Ryukyu (1609)
- 琉球列島りゅうきゅうれっとう
Ryukyu Islands
- 琉球列島米国民政府りゅうきゅうれっとうべいこくみんせいふ
United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands (1950-1972); USCAR
- 琉球列島米国軍政府りゅうきゅうれっとうべいこくぐんせいふ
United States Military Government of the Ryukyu Islands (1945-1950)
- 琉球古武術りゅうきゅうこぶじゅつ
Okinawan kobudo; traditional martial arts of the Ryukyu Islands
- 琉球国りゅうきゅうこく
Ryukyu Kingdom
- 琉球山亀りゅうきゅうやまがめ
Ryukyu black-breasted leaf turtle (Geoemyda japonica); Ryukyu leaf turtle
- 琉球弧りゅうきゅうこ
Ryukyu archipelago
- 琉球政府りゅうきゅうせいふ
Government of the Ryukyu Islands (1952-1972)
- 琉球料理りゅうきゅうりょうり
Ryukyuan food; Ryukyuan cuisine
Study
Etymology
琉 combines 王 (jewel) with 㐬, a component that likely contributes the sound リュウ. The character was created to represent a specific precious stone, lapis lazuli.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side 王 (jewel) tells you this is a gem. The right side 㐬 looks a bit like a flowing river, but here imagine it as the deep blue veins in lapis lazuli.
Reading mnemonic
For リュウ, picture a beautiful blue gem flowing like a river: the word 'river' sounds like リュウ, and the gem's color flows like water.