# tanka

> English word · Noun · frequency rank #77,252

## Definitions
1. A form of Japanese verse in five lines of 5, 7, 5, 7, and 7 morae.

## Etymology
From Japanese 短歌 (tanka, “short song”), from Middle Chinese 短 (MC twanX) 歌 (MC ka) (compare Mandarin 短歌 (duǎngē) duǎngē).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/tanka