The name of the movement refers to a Malaysian verse form, in which the second and fourth lines of each four-line stanza become the first and third lines of the next. While Ravel never commented on the significance of the movement's title, Brian Newbould has suggested that the poetic form is reflected in the way these two themes are developed in alternation.
The name of the musical movement derives from a Malaysian verse form where the second and fourth lines of each four-line stanza become the first and third lines of the following stanza.  Ravel never explained the significance of this title, but Brian Newbould has suggested that the poetic structure is mirrored in how these two themes are presented in alternating patterns.