Thomas Aquinas ,a 13th century Italian friar first recorded use of the anapestic meter in the AABBA form with prayers in Latin until Edward Lear used theform for humourous verse.The title Limerick is more uncertain but might have aconnection to the Irish town of that name

ORIGINS

There once lived a friar,Thomas of Aquino

in latin,did his poetry flow

In a prayer anapestic

this form was to stick

until Lear gave AABBA ,a go