Hokku
/ˈhɒkkuː/noun
The opening stanza of a Japanese linked-verse poem, later developing into the independent poetic form known as haiku.
Did you know?Hokku was traditionally the first, season-marked stanza of renga, and its independence helped give rise to modern haiku.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Chinese
Chinese
發句
“Opening line or opening verse; the written source of the Japanese compound.”
Medieval Japan
Japanese
発句（ほっく, hokku）
“The opening stanza of a linked-verse composition, typically establishing the season and setting.”
16th–17th Century
Japanese
発句
“A prominent opening verse cultivated by poets of renga and haikai traditions.”
Late 19th Century
Japanese
hokku
“A term increasingly treated as an independent poetic unit rather than only the beginning of linked verse.”
20th Century
English
hokku
“An English loanword used by scholars and poets for the traditional Japanese opening verse, especially to distinguish it from modern haiku.”