Ghazelist
/ɡəˈzɛlɪst/noun
A poet or writer who composes ghazals, a form of lyric poetry originating in the Arabic-Persian literary tradition.
Did you know?The ghazal’s repeated opening rhyme and refrain helped make it a powerful vehicle for mystical and devotional poetry, especially in Persian and Urdu traditions.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Arabic
Arabic
ġazal
“Love poetry or amorous conversation; the term is associated with lyrical expressions of longing.”
Medieval Period
Persian
ġazal
“A formal lyric poem, often concerned with love, separation, wine, and mystical experience.”
13th–16th Century
Urdu/Persian
ghazal
“A highly structured lyric form composed of autonomous yet thematically linked couplets.”
19th Century
English
ghazal
“An English loanword for the Arabic-Persian poetic form.”
Modern English
English
ghazelist
“A person who writes or composes ghazals, formed from ghazal plus the agentive suffix -ist.”