tanka1 Syllabification: (tan·ka)Pronunciation: /ˈtäNGkə/Definition of tanka noun (plural same or tankas) a Japanese poem consisting of five lines, the first and third of which have five syllables and the other seven, making 31 syllables in all and giving a complete picture of an event or mood. Origin:Japanese, from tan 'short' + ka 'song'tanka in other Oxford dictionaries Definition of tanka in the British & World English dictionary
