Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “poem” come from?

Poem comes from Middle French poème, from Latin poema, from Ancient Greek ποίημα, derived from the verb ποιέω meaning to make or compose.

poem (English): A literary piece written in verse; A piece of...

Definitions

  1. A literary piece written in verse; A piece of...

Ancestry of “poem”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchpoème—
2Latinpoēma—
3Ancient Greekποίημαa work, creation; a poem; a deed, action
4Ancient GreekποιέωTo make; To do; To pretend
5Proto-Hellenic*kʷoiwéyō—

Words derived from “poem”

  • metapoem
  • antipoem
  • poemlike
  • poemet
  • poemless
  • ur-poem
  • ecopoem
  • micropoem
  • poemette
  • hyperpoem
  • cyberpoem
Every word from Proto-Hellenic *kʷoiwéyō →