Question about palindromes...?

Question

Alright, I'm aware of what a palindrome is... a word, phrase, or sequence that reads the same backward as forward.

However, my question is this: Is there a term for a word that is reversed? Like for example, if we take the word "place" & reverse it to "ecalp". Is there a term for this, even though the word doesn't make any sense?

Note: I'm not looking for a definition of the word spelled backwards... I'm looking to find out if there's a term used to describe the sequence or pattern. In this case, it is backward.

Thanks for your help, all!

Answer 1

There are actually several names used for this. Perhaps the most fun is the one invented by Lewis Caroll -- "Semiordnilap" (the reverse of "palindrome")
http://www.anagrammy.com/anagrams/faq3.html

My personal preference is "anadrome", which combines anagram [=reordering letters of a word to form a new word] & palindrome [=reversing letters of a word to form the same word].

You're probably best off using one of those two terms. But you may run across some others --mainly variations of palindrome or anagram, such as:

heteropalindromes, semi-palindromes, half-palindromes,
reversgrams, reversible anagrams, word reversals

[Wikipedia also lists "antigram", but this term is generally used to describe a pair of anagrams with opposite MEANINGS]

There are a good number of these. The longest are three eight-letter sets:

desserts – stressed
dioramas – samaroid
redrawer – rewarder

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semordnilap

For a nice long list of those under eight letters, check this page
http://en.allexperts.com/e/s/se/semordnlap.htm

You might also enjoy the following sentence -- a palindrome, but constructed with three sets of anadromes:

"rats live on no evil star"
http://www.askoxford.com/asktheexperts/faq/aboutwords/palindromes?view=uk

Answer 2

I believe that an intentional reversal of speech without a technical device is called phonetic reversal; as opposed to backmasking (spinning records or tapes recordings backward). But that could have more to do with the sound of the word than the spelling.

Cryptography obscures the meaning of a message.

Arrrrrrrrugh, this is tough. ;-)

Answer 3

Kayak Hannah I desire pi Sees Bar Crab chook Rib canine God Solos Eye Eve Racecar Yo Banana Boy! Mad Adam Hug a bared nun below a bag, uh Retard Rater Oh, who became into it I observed? Oh, who? Is it I? it relatively is I