Ryu
/ɹuː/noun
A Japanese martial-arts school, style, or tradition.
Did you know?Japanese ryū comes from the character 流, whose older meaning is “to flow”; the same term later came to describe a lineage or school that transmits a tradition.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Old Chinese
流
“To flow or move like water”
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
流 (ljuw)
“Flow; stream; transmission”
Classical Japanese
Japanese
ryū (流)
“Flowing; a transmitted school or tradition”
Medieval Japan
Japanese
ryū
“A recognized lineage or style, especially in martial or artistic disciplines”
20th Century
English
ryu
“A Japanese martial-arts school or style”
Modern English
English
ryu
“A style or school within Japanese martial arts”