Qissa
/ˈkɪs.ə/noun
A traditional tale, story, or narrative, especially in South Asian literary and oral traditions.
Did you know?Qissa storytelling became especially famous in Punjab, where professional narrators performed long romantic and heroic cycles such as Heer-Ranjha and Dastan traditions.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*q-ṣ-ṣ
“A root associated in Semitic languages with recounting, narrating, or relating events”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
qiṣṣa (قِصَّة)
“A story, tale, or narrative”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
qiṣaṣ (قِصَص)
“Stories or narratives; the plural form appears in Islamic literary and scriptural contexts”
Medieval Persian
Persian
qiṣṣa / qesseh
“A tale or story, adopted into Persian narrative culture”
Medieval–Early Modern South Asia
Urdu
qissa (قصہ)
“A tale, especially an orally performed romantic, heroic, or legendary narrative”
Modern English
English
qissa
“A traditional story or tale, particularly one from South Asian culture”