noun
Ryukyuan languages
Refers to the group of indigenous languages spoken in the Ryukyu Islands, distinct from standard Japanese.
琉球語は日本語と系統が同じだと考えられている。
Ryukyuan languages are thought to be genetically related to Japanese.
From 琉球 (Ryukyu) + 語 (language). The term 琉球 refers to the historical Ryukyu Kingdom and the island chain.