Terme (kaz. 'Collect') - recitation, musical and poetic genre of folk song creation. There is an expression "terme aitu" - to sing a recitative among the people. As a poetic-melodic speech in a piece of music, terme is very popular among the people. It is like advisory/teaching saying in a form of clearly expressed recitation. They are short and uniform in the rhythm of the melody in the form of a recitative. Poems and songs, recited in this genre, is easily remember to the mass consciousness and retrieved in memory associatively.

By its nature, terme has spectral character. It is designed for lighting properties of specific social situations. This unique kind of musical recitation finds a special echo in the modern youth. Obviously, it resembles rap. Despite the fact that the terme spread everywhere, its stable forms are well preserved and have been sung among the Kazakh Diaspora outside of Kazakhstan.

Poetics of Kazakh folk songs corresponds syllabic (isosyllabism) versification system and is characterized by mobility rows while singing. Poetic line expands when entering interjections or inserting words in the context of the song, its melody. Such elements and properties of the musical-poetic art determined features of songs and poetry, which gave rise to terme and other types of Kazakh folk song of poetic tradition and culture. At the same time features of construction technology of terme inspired poets-akyns for new types of improvisation.

Akyns (singers) and poets (folklore poetry). All famous Kazakh great akyns and poets are known for their terme creations – like Assan Kaigy, Bukhar Zhirau, Kaztugan, Makhambet, Zhambyl, Turmagambet and other.