Word game

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A word game is a game that uses words, letters, sentences or other parts of a language. They are often board games, but are not necessarily; for example, Scrabble Slam does not use a board. Wordplay is often classified with word games.

History

One of the first known instances of wordplay was the so-called Sator Square. This was found in an inscription in Herculaneum - it reads:

S A T O R
A R E P O
T E N E T
O P E R A
R O T A S

The table is notable as, strung together, it is a long palindrome and also the words are identical vertically and horizontally.[1] It is also believed to possibly have been written by Christians as the word PATERNOSTER is contained within the letters.[2] It is written in Latin; translated to English it reads "Arepo the Sower holds the wheels at work."

References

  1. Walter O. Moeller: The Mithraic Origin and Meanings of the ROTAS-SATOR Square (Leiden: Brill, 1973).
  2. Plexoft.