Originally, the word "piyyut" designated every type of sacred poetry, but as usage developed, the term came to designate only poems of hymn character. The "piyyutim" were usually composed by a talented rabbinic poet, and depending on the "piyyut"’s reception by the community determined whether it would pass the test of time. By looking at the composers of the piyyutim, one is able to see which family names were part of the Middle Eastern community, and which "hachamim" were prominent and well established. The composers of various "piyyutim" usually used acrostic form in order to hint their identity in the "piyyut" itself. Since prayer books were limited at the time, many "piyyutim" have repeating stanzas that the congregation would respond to followed by the hazzan’s recitations.