what does haiku mean in japanese
It was given this name in the late 19th century by Japanese writer Masaoka Shiki from a combination of the older hokku and the haikai (or verses) in haikai no renga. Haiku, when known as hokku were the opening verses of a linked verse form, haikai no renga.eport Abuse. The word haiku in Japanese doesn't mean anything other than the popular form of poem. The word literally translates as actor sentences or a sentence acting like something it's not. Source(s): B.A. in Japanese LANGUAGE, not literature.