Ryū
/ɾʲɯː/noun
A Japanese martial-arts school, tradition, or distinctive style.
Did you know?The word ryū uses the Japanese reading of 流, a character associated with flowing water, lineage, and transmission; it is distinct from ryū meaning “dragon,” written 龍.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Chinese
Chinese
流
“To flow, stream, or be transmitted”
Middle Chinese
Chinese
l流 (liú)
“Flowing or circulating; the source character behind the Japanese reading”
Old Japanese
Japanese
ryū
“A flowing tradition, school, or inherited method”
Edo Period
Japanese
ryū
“A formal school or lineage, especially in martial arts and other disciplined arts”
20th Century
English
ryū / ryu
“A Japanese martial-arts style or school, used as a loanword in English”