Ryō
/ɾʲoː/noun
A former Japanese monetary unit used especially during the Edo period.
Did you know?The ryō was not always a fixed coin: its value could refer to a measured amount of gold or silver, making it a unit of weight as well as money.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Chinese
兩 (liǎng)
“Two; a pair; a traditional unit of weight”
Classical Chinese
Chinese
両 / 兩
“A paired or two-part unit, including a monetary or weight measure”
Early Japanese
Japanese
両 (ryō)
“A Sino-Japanese term for a pair, unit, or measured amount”
17th–19th Century
Japanese
両 (ryō)
“A major monetary unit in Japan, commonly associated with gold currency”
Modern English
English
ryō
“A former Japanese monetary unit, especially of the Edo period”