Is there a word for this?

[glynndah]

I need a bit of help to come up with the proper term for certain types of words and I thought those of you with a love of the English language could help.

A palindrome is a word or phrase that reads the same forwards and backwards, such as "Racecar" and "Boob". Right? An anagram is a word that makes another word when the letters are scrambled. "Made, Mead and Dame", "Lime and Mile", etc. Is there a term for words that make other words when they are written in reverse? For example, "Stressed and Desserts", "Spools and Sloops", "Devil and Lived", etc. They aren't palindromes because the words are different and not exactly anagrams because the order of the letters isn't changed.

Any ideas?

 

[Selena_Kitt]

I need a bit of help to come up with the proper term for certain types of words and I thought those of you with a love of the English language could help.

A palindrome is a word or phrase that reads the same forwards and backwards, such as "Racecar" and "Boob". Right? An anagram is a word that makes another word when the letters are scrambled. "Made, Mead and Dame", "Lime and Mile", etc. Is there a term for words that make other words when they are written in reverse? For example, "Stressed and Desserts", "Spools and Sloops", "Devil and Lived", etc. They aren't palindromes because the words are different and not exactly anagrams because the order of the letters isn't changed.

Any ideas?

Semordnilap

 

[minsue]

Semordnilap

And here I always just called it a word that spells another word when written backwards.

 

[Guest]

And here I always just called it a word that spells another word when written backwards.

LOL! All I could think of was "mirror word".

 

[Selena_Kitt]

LOL! All I could think of was "mirror word".

that's a much better description

 

[kendo1]

Go hang a salami; I'm a lasagna hog.

The word you are looking for is a retronym.

Ken

 

[3113]

Go hang a salami; I'm a lasagna hog.

The word you are looking for is a retronym.

Are your sure?
Retronym:
A word or phrase created because an existing term that was once used alone needs to be distinguished from a term referring to a new development, as acoustic guitar in contrast to electric guitar or analog watch in contrast to digital watch.

 

[Selena_Kitt]

Semordnilaps are also known as heteropalindromes, semi-palindromes, half-palindromes, reversgrams, reversible anagrams, word reversals, anadromes or antigrams...

and of course Semordnilap is palindromes spelled backwards...

but I've never heard of Retronym?

edited to add: I still like "mirror words" best!

 

[kendo1]

Are your sure?
Retronym:
A word or phrase created because an existing term that was once used alone needs to be distinguished from a term referring to a new development, as acoustic guitar in contrast to electric guitar or analog watch in contrast to digital watch.

That's definition 1.

Yes, I'm sure.

Definition 2 is:
retronym (2) reversing the spelling of a word to create a new word boy <> yob

Ken
(from: http://www.startwright.com/words1.htm )

 

[Selena_Kitt]

That's definition 1.

Yes, I'm sure.

Definition 2 is:
retronym (2) reversing the spelling of a word to create a new word boy <> yob

Ken
(from: http://www.startwright.com/words1.htm )

yep there it is! Huh! Learn something new every day

 

[glynndah]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I knew there had to be a word for it. And it turns out, there are lots. I like retronym and antigram.