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Glite Dictionary
sotadic verse

sotadic verse

9.9
A line of poetry that reads the same forwards and backwards
  • noun
  • /ˈsoʊtədɪk vɜrs/
  • Literature
translation icon : verso sotádico
  • The poet crafted a sotadic verse that could be read identically in both directions.

Examples

  • She spent months composing a sotadic verse for the literary competition.

  • Classic examples of sotadic verse are prized for their linguistic ingenuity.

  • The poem was written in sotadic verse.

  • Can you create a sotadic verse for me?

  • The poet crafted a sotadic verse that could be read identically in both directions.

  • She spent months composing a sotadic verse for the literary competition.

  • Classic examples of sotadic verse are prized for their linguistic ingenuity.

Synonyms

palindrome
vssotadic verse
6 6.7

A word or phrase that reads the same backward and forward

is the specific poetic form of that pattern named after an ancient Greek poet

Surface Forms

sotadic verse singular
sotadic verses plural

Morphology

sotadic + verse

The form is just adjective + noun, but the adjective 'sotadic' is a rare eponymic/scholarly term (from the name Sotades) whose meaning ('palindromic') is not inferable from its surface form. Even if a learner knows 'verse', they would not be able to derive the specialized sense without prior exposure or etymological knowledge, so the expression is opaque to B1 learners.

Etymology

Sotadic verse comes from the ancient Greek poet Sotades, who wrote playful lines that could be read the same forwards and backwards as a clever trick. That's why sotadic verse now means a poem or line that reads the same in both directions.