precious stone, gem, lapis lazuli
琉 centers on a type of precious stone, specifically lapis lazuli, a deep blue gem. The meaning extends naturally to gems in general.
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.
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.
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.
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Ryukyu; chain of southwestern Japanese islands comprising Okinawa Prefecture
University of the Ryukyus
whitetail dascyllus (Dascyllus aruanus); humbug dascyllus; banded dascyllus; white-tailed damselfish
Sino-Ryukyuan Cultural and Economic Association (previous name of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office)
Proto-Japonic (language); Proto-Japanese; Proto-Japanese-Ryukyuan
Japanese-Ryukyuan languages; Japonic languages
Okinawan fixed form poetry
Ryukyuan (person)
Ryukyuan mission to Edo
Disposition of Ryukyu; forced assimilation of Okinawa into Japan, ending its tributary relations with China and abolishing the Ryukyu Kingdom (1872-1879)
Invasion of Ryukyu (1609)
Ryukyu Islands
United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands (1950-1972); USCAR
United States Military Government of the Ryukyu Islands (1945-1950)
Okinawan kobudo; traditional martial arts of the Ryukyu Islands
Ryukyu Kingdom
Ryukyu black-breasted leaf turtle (Geoemyda japonica); Ryukyu leaf turtle
Ryukyu archipelago
Government of the Ryukyu Islands (1952-1972)
Ryukyuan food; Ryukyuan cuisine