Origin of The Name
The origin of the name limerick for this type of poem is debated. As of several years ago, its usage was first documented in England in 1898 (New English Dictionary) and in the United States in 1902, but in recent years several earlier uses have been documented. The name is generally taken to be a reference to the City or County of Limerick in Ireland sometimes particularly to the Maigue Poets, and may derive from an earlier form of nonsense verse parlour game that traditionally included a refrain that included "Will you come (up) to Limerick?" The earliest known use of the term limerick for this type poem is an 1880 reference, in a Saint John, New Brunswick newspaper, to an apparently well-known tune,
- :There was a young rustic named Mallory,
- who drew but a very small salary.
- When he went to the show,
- his purse made him go
- to a seat in the uppermost gallery.
- Tune: Wont you come to Limerick.
Read more about this topic: Limerick (poetry)
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