I was asked about the history and meaning of the name ‘Okinawa’ and ‘Ryukyu’ – both Japanese in origin – but premised upon older Chinese ideograms. At the above link, there is my research regarding the forensic study of the ideograms involved and my conclusions premised upon these findings. The term ‘Okinawa’ appears to be a post-1872 CE construct – at least in regard to the forming of the Japanese Prefecture of that name. Generally, Chinese literature does not use this term – but prefers the far older ‘Lu Qiu’ designation which dates back around 1500-years.
