Ryukyuan languages
Linguistic term for the group of Japonic languages spoken in the Ryukyu Islands, distinct from mainland Japanese. Often contrasted with 琉球語 (Ryukyuan language) in older literature.
See also: 琉球語
The Ryukyuan languages are a language family that shares a common origin with Japanese.
琉球語 is an older, broader term sometimes used synonymously, but 琉球諸語 emphasizes the plurality of distinct languages within the Ryukyuan branch.
Compound of 琉球 (Ryukyu) + 諸語 (various languages). The term reflects modern linguistic classification recognizing multiple Ryukyuan languages rather than a single 'Ryukyuan language'.