Lesson plan

Alternade

An alternade is a word in which its letters, taken alternatively in a strict sequence, and used in the same order as the original word, make up at least two other words. All letters must be used, but the smaller words are not necessarily of the same length. For example, a word with seven letters where every second letter is used will produce a four-letter word and a three-letter word. In the majority of alternades, every second letter is used to make two smaller words, but in some cases, every third letter is used to make three smaller words. Theoretically, a very long word could use every fourth letter to make four smaller words; e.g., «partitioned» is an alternade for «pin», «ate», «rid», and «to». The term binade is also used. The alternade was introduced by L'Allegro in the May 1917 Eastern Enigma, published in June 1917. Variants on the alternade include the rebade (a hybrid of a rebus and an alternade), and the subade. At least 4,800 alternades are known to exist.

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Article summary

An alternade is a word in which its letters, taken alternatively in a strict sequence, and used in the same order as the original word, make up at least two other words. All letters must be used, but the smaller words are not necessarily of the same length. For example, a word with seven letters where every second letter is used will produce a four-letter word and a three-letter word. In the majority of alternades, every second letter is used to make two smaller words, but in some cases, every third letter is used to make three smaller words. Theoretically, a very long word could use every fourth letter to make four smaller words; e.g., «partitioned» is an alternade for «pin», «ate», «rid», and «to». The term binade is also used. The alternade was introduced by L'Allegro in the May 1917 Eastern Enigma, published in June 1917. Variants on the alternade include the rebade (a hybrid of a rebus and an alternade), and the subade. At least 4,800 alternades are known to exist.

Key claims

  1. publication date: 1917 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

  1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
  2. The record states that the publication date is "1917". What evidence would count against this claim?
  3. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
  4. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

  1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1368863407

Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.