Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “haiku” come from?

Haiku comes from Japanese 俳句, ultimately from Middle Chinese 俳, a word for comic or theatrical performance.

haiku (English): A Japanese poem in three lines, the first and...

Definitions

  1. A Japanese poem in three lines, the first and...

Ancestry of “haiku”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1HawaiianHaʻikū—
2HawaiianKū—
3EnglishstewA cooking-dish used for boiling; a cauldron; A...
4EnglishstewardA person who manages the property or affairs for...
5Middle Englishsteward—
6Old Englishstiġweard—
7Old Englishweardguard; guard, the action of looking out for...
8Old Englishōraore, unwrought metal
9Old Englishēarsea, ocean; grave, earth
10Proto-Germanicahazear
11Proto-Finnicahtasnarrow, cramped
12Proto-Balticanśtas—
13Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂énǵʰusnarrow, tight
14Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂enǵʰ-to constrict, tighten, compress; narrow, tight;...

Words derived from “haiku”

  • haikulike
  • haiku
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂enǵʰ- →