Ryukyu

American  

[ryoo-kyoo, ree-oo-kyoo] / ˈryu kyu, riˈu kyu /

noun

1. a chain of Japanese islands in the western Pacific Ocean between Japan and Taiwan. 3,120 square miles (1,205 square kilometers).

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Etymology

Origin of Ryukyu

First recorded in 1930–45; from Japanese Ryūkyū Shōto “Ryukyu Archipelago”

Example Sentences

The dispersal pathway of the Kuroshio Current indicates that Borelis matsudai likely appeared in the southern and central Ryukyu Islands at least since the Middle Pleistocene, around 770,000 years ago.

From Science Daily • Sep. 19, 2023

Two U.S. aircraft carriers, the USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan, had been operating around the geopolitically important Ryukyu Islands in the Philippine Sea since Thursday, Global Times cited a Beijing-based think tank as saying.

From Reuters • Jun. 12, 2023

The Ryukyu Kingdom was annexed by Japan in the 17th century, and strong localist feelings simmer.

From Washington Times • May 5, 2023

During the day, pale thrushes and Ryukyu robins visited the bright red fruits, but the birds tended to consume only a little bit of fruit at a time.

From New York Times • Jan. 26, 2023

Excepting the twin sister tongue spoken in the Ryukyu Islands," writes Professor Chamberlain, "the Japanese language has no kindred, and its classification under any of the recognized linguistic families remains doubtful.

From A History of the Japanese People From the Earliest Times to the End of the Meiji Era by Brinkley, F. (Frank)