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haiku

a Japanese poem of three lines, traditionally following a five-seven-five syllable pattern

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Where does the word "haiku" come from? It comes from Japanese haikai, and was adopted directly into English (1900s).

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Where does the word "haiku" come from? It comes from Japanese haikai, and was adopted directly into English (1900s).

Haiku’s story begins in Japanese: haikai meant “playful linked verse.” A playful linked-verse poetry form, later shortened to a standalone three-line poem. It reached English by 1900s as haiku. Masaoka Shiki coined 'haiku' in the 1890s; Matsuo Bashō is its most famous master. Today, haiku means a Japanese poem of three lines, traditionally following a five-seven-five syllable pattern.

  1. Stage 1 · Japanese · 1600s haikai "playful linked verse", a playful linked-verse poetry form, later shortened to a standalone three-line poem.
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1900s haiku "a three-line Japanese poem of seventeen syllables", Masaoka Shiki coined 'haiku' in the 1890s; Matsuo Bashō is its most famous master.

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