rubaiyat

Where does the word "rubaiyat" come from? It comes from Arabic rubaiy, passing through Persian before entering English (1859).

Rubaiyat’s story begins in Arabic: rubaiy meant “four-line verse form.” Meant "composed of four," describing a four-line poetic verse. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Persian as rubaiyat. The plural form became famous through the quatrains of poet Omar Khayyam. It reached English by 1859 as rubaiyat. Entered English through Edward FitzGerald's translation "The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam". Today, rubaiyat means a quatrain, or a collection of quatrains, in Persian poetry, especially those attributed to Omar Khayyam.

1. Stage 1 · Arabic · medieval rubaiy "four-line verse form", meant "composed of four," describing a four-line poetic verse.
2. Stage 2 · Persian · medieval rubaiyat "quatrains", the plural form became famous through the quatrains of poet Omar Khayyam.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1859 rubaiyat "Persian quatrains", entered English through Edward FitzGerald's translation "The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam".