Haikai
/haɪˈkaɪ/noun
A genre of Japanese comic linked verse, later associated with the tradition that produced haiku.
Did you know?In medieval Japan, haikai no renga began as a humorous or irreverent alternative to the refined linked-verse traditions favored by the aristocracy.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient China
Middle Chinese
俳諧
“Humorous, playful, or unconventional speech and verse”
Medieval Japan
Japanese
俳諧 (haikai)
“Comic or unconventional linked verse”
14th–16th Centuries
Japanese
Haikai no renga
“A humorous form of linked verse, often deliberately contrasting with courtly poetic ideals”
17th Century
Japanese
Haikai
“A major poetic movement associated with writers such as Matsuo Bashō”
19th Century
English
haikai
“A Japanese comic or informal poetic tradition, discussed in English-language scholarship”
Modern English
English
haikai
“The broader tradition or style from which modern haiku developed”