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Palindromes are words, sentences, numbers that are the same forwards and backwards. Is there a term for words that are one word forwards but a different word backwards? For example, star backwards is rats, or god is dog.

RegDwigнt
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Lauren McDonald
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  • The term is palindrome: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Palindrome –  Mar 13 '15 at 14:41
  • I don't understand the question. The palindromes of *star, god* are indeed *rats, dog, but I don't think anyone would normally say emordnilap* is a palindrome of *palindrome, because it's not a valid English word*. – FumbleFingers Mar 13 '15 at 14:44
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    It is, in fact, not palindrome. A palindrome requires the reading forwards and backwards to be the same. This question is clearly asking about words that are still words when backwards, but different words. – Ian MacDonald Mar 13 '15 at 14:45
  • No, palindrome is a word that can be read both ways, also with a different meaning. –  Mar 13 '15 at 14:45
  • Please use a more descriptive title in the future. Your original title applies to every question ever asked on this site. And do not use "questions" as a tag unless your question is about a question. Thank you. – RegDwigнt Mar 13 '15 at 14:47
  • Okay - I accept that technically speaking, a palindrome must read identically in either direction. But I'll leave my comment there, because I think in "loose parlance" (and for want of a better term), people do apply the term to OP's examples. – FumbleFingers Mar 13 '15 at 14:54
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    @Josh61: I have yet to find a definition for the word palindrome that does not also include the word same. – Ian MacDonald Mar 13 '15 at 15:02

2 Answers2

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The most common term for these is Semordnilap which is just the word palindromes backwards. A more understandable, albeit less fun, term is 'reverse anagram.'

See, e.g., semordnilap

Scott - Слава Україні
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Ryan Gell
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  • Isn't "semordnilaps" doubly pluralized? I would think the singular form would be "emordnilap," and the plural form would be either "semordnilap" or "emordnilaps." – herisson Jul 11 '15 at 18:11
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According to Holman's Handbook to Literature 3rd Edition, a palindrome is "A word, sentence, or verse which reads the same from left to right and from right to left. A referral to "anagrams" is given, but nowhere (Erehwon!) is there mention of the construction you reference in this inquiry.

Wordgamer37
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    One source not including it is not evidence that there is no term for the phenomenon. (Not that the answer actually said there wasn't, so it doesn't actually answer the question at all, I'm afraid.) – Andrew Leach Mar 25 '15 at 08:22