Monday, June 12, 2006

ABLE WAS I ERE I SAW ELBA

Malayalam, Madam... were the simple words that I was using to test my little BASIC program to check whether a given string was a palindrome. My dad mentioned this to me for the first time and introduced me to the history of Palindromes and its use in historical events. I loved Palindromes thereafter and I still have the habit of reversing the letters while I read a new word.

"Able was I ere I saw Elba" was a palindrome used to mark the defeat and exile of Nepolean Bonaparte.

"A man, aplan, a canal, Panama" when Panama Canal was conceived.

"Madam, I am Adam" was the first reference to the first man of the world in the Bible.


In Tamil, a different kind of palindrome. Read horizontally and vertically.

Si va ji
va yi le
ji le bi

Fascinating, is'nt it?

The longest palindrome has 17259 words.

20 comments:

maheshbalaji said...

thamizh la innum irukke... venaamnu sollaliya? illa exapmple kuduthuttu vittuteengala?

'vi-ka-ta-ka-vi'

'ku-da-gu'... in thamizh this will be a palindrome

'moruporumo' :P is a casual palindrome!


all of us enjoy palindrome....my similar entry!

http://watdoiright.blogspot.com/2004/09/palindrome-procession.html

:)

Anonymous said...

Mahesh
apprum eppadi irukka.
Rajesh

I said...

enna idhu recycle mokkaya..

D LordLabak said...

Panama was to me. Good one. I didn't know Madam, I am Adam is in Bible. I remember Big B saying that to ASh in Bunty Aur Babli.

Anonymous said...

Deepa,
Bunty aur babli was funny.
Rajesh

KC! said...

adhu Madam, I'm adam illa? the speciality is the comma and the apostrophe in the reverse order..adhai vittuteenga?

APAM NAPAT said...

usha,
u r right. Naan dhan unarchivasa pattuten.

priyums said...

I remember this palindrome my thatha told me - he was too old and
I dont remember exactly what it meant or was it right..Always wanted to check..it goes like this. It is hard unless you write in in tamil you cannot figure it out..
"VATHADU OORILEY MAVEDHAMODAVE
MAL ERIVUDUTHAVA"
And I did not ask him for the meaning..I guessed Vathadu is the name of a place.. OOriley - means in tha place..MAVEDAMODAVE is fine..MAL - means thirumaal or Lord
Vishnu- Eri means ezhuntharuli..
Then the last word..I dont know that part. Thatha passed away and I remember only this much.

APAM NAPAT said...

Priya,
Nice one. Full meaning therinja nanna irukkum. Your paintings are wonderful

Anonymous said...

Madam, I am Adam isn't a Palindrome >.> Backwards it reads
Madam a Im adam.
Close though.

APAM NAPAT said...

Anon,
good catch. it was meant to be
"Madam, I'm Adam"

How about that? Nice to know that someone is still reading word by word.

Anonymous said...

It sounds like you're creating problems yourself by trying to solve this issue instead of looking at why their is a problem in the first place.

Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

tho du adu tho in tamil

Anonymous said...

another plaindrome in tamil:nir var ni

Anonymous said...

i could say another plaindrome in tamil: madu odu ma.