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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.^[1]

The alternade was introduced by L'Allegro in the May 1917 Eastern Enigma,^[2] published in June 1917.^[3]

Variants on the alternade include the rebade (a hybrid of a rebus and an alternade), and the subade.^[3]

At least 4,800 alternades are known to exist.^[2]

Examples

Every second letter

ALGERIA: makes AGRA and LEI.^[3]
ALTERNADE itself makes: ATRAE^[4] and LEND
ALTERNATION: makes A-TRAIN and LENTO
BOARD: makes BAD and OR.^[5]
CALLIOPE: makes CLIP and ALOE.^[6]
CARPETWEED(S): makes CREWE(S) and APTED.^[1]
CURTAINLESS: makes CRANES and UTILS.^[1]
PAINED: makes PIE and AND.^[5]
SCHOOLED: makes SHOE and COLD.^[1]^[3]
SPALLATION(S): makes SALTO(S) and PLAIN.^[1]
TRIENNIALLY: makes TINILY and RENAL.^{[citation needed]} (This was discovered by Dorse in 1949.^[2] It has been claimed that triennially is the longest alternade,^[7] but other 11-letter examples exist where the resultant words are obscure.^[1])
TROUPE(S): makes TOP(S) and RUE.^[5]
TRUANCIES: makes TUNIS and RACE.^[6]
WAIST: makes WIT and AS.^[5]
WAISTS: makes WIT and ASS.

Every third letter

LACERATED: the 1st, 4th and 7th letters make LET; the 2nd, 5th and 8th letters make ARE; and the 3rd, 6th and 9th letters make CAD.^[5]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Taxonomy of Wordplay
^ ^a ^b ^c Word Ways
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Words Built From Smaller Words". Archived from the original on 2009-01-24. Retrieved 2009-02-23.
^ "Atrae". 18 October 2019.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Woodge.com.lexicon". Archived from the original on 2013-02-09. Retrieved 2009-02-23.
^ ^a ^b David Grambs, Literary Companion Dictionary
^ rec.puzzles Archive (language), part 19 of 35

Sources

[tax-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Taxonomy of Wordplay

[wws-2] Word Ways

[wbsw-3] "Words Built From Smaller Words". Archived from the original on 2009-01-24. Retrieved 2009-02-23.

[4] "Atrae". 18 October 2019.

[woodge-5] "Woodge.com.lexicon". Archived from the original on 2013-02-09. Retrieved 2009-02-23.

[Grambs-6] David Grambs, Literary Companion Dictionary

[7] rec.puzzles Archive (language), part 19 of 35

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Orphan|date=September 2019}}
-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 three-letter word and a four-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; however, this would require the parent word to be at least 13 letters long, but the longest known alternades have only 11 letters.
+An '''alternade''' is a [[word]] in which its [[letter (alphabet)|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.<ref name=tax/>
-The alternade was introduced by L'Allegro in the May 1917 ''Eastern Enigma''<ref name=wws>[http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-7881760/Look-back-Column.html Word Ways]</ref>, published in June 1917.<ref name=wbsw/>
+The alternade was introduced by L'Allegro in the May 1917 ''[[Eastern Enigma]]'',<ref name=wws>[http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-7881760/Look-back-Column.html Word Ways]</ref> published in June 1917.<ref name=wbsw/>
-Variants on the alternade include the '''rebade''' (a hybrid of a '''rebus''' and an alternade), and the '''subade'''.<ref name=wbsw/>
+Variants on the alternade include the '''[[rebade]]''' (a hybrid of a '''[[rebus]]''' and an alternade), and the '''[[subade]]'''.<ref name=wbsw/>
 At least 4,800 alternades are known to exist.<ref name=wws/>
 ==Examples==
 ===Every second letter===
-* '''ALGERIA''': makes '''AGRA''' and '''LEI'''.<ref name=wbsw>[http://www.puzzlers.org/guide/combine.html Words Built From Smaller Words]</ref>
+* '''[[Algeria|ALGERIA]]''': makes '''AGRA''' and '''LEI'''.<ref name=wbsw>{{Cite web |url=http://www.puzzlers.org/guide/combine.html |title=Words Built From Smaller Words |access-date=2009-02-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090124185157/http://puzzlers.org/guide/combine.html |archive-date=2009-01-24 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
+* '''ALTERNADE''' itself makes: '''ATRAE'''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/atrae|title = Atrae|date = 18 October 2019}}</ref> and '''LEND'''
-* '''BOARD''': makes '''BAD''' and '''OR'''.<ref name=woodge>[http://www.woodge.com/language/lexicon.html Woodge.com.lexicon]</ref>
+* '''ALTERNATION''': makes '''A-TRAIN''' and '''LENTO'''
+* '''BOARD''': makes '''BAD''' and '''OR'''.<ref name=woodge>{{Cite web |url=http://www.woodge.com/language/lexicon.html |title=Woodge.com.lexicon |access-date=2009-02-23 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130209101557/http://www.woodge.com/language/lexicon.html |archive-date=2013-02-09 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
-* '''CALLIOPE''': makes '''CLIP''' and '''ALOE'''.<ref name=Grambs>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=PUYOAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA84&lpg=PA84&dq=alternade+words+letters&source=bl&ots=J-3Vp8-q7X&sig=RcSdyWZ1N4RZk8gCm84Z6GtXpAI&hl=en&ei=uiyiScfPK5iy6wOP8KypCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=5&ct=result David Grambs, Literary Companion Dictionary]</ref>
+* '''[[Calliope|CALLIOPE]]''': makes '''CLIP''' and '''ALOE'''.<ref name=Grambs>[https://books.google.com/books?id=PUYOAAAAQAAJ&dq=alternade+words+letters&pg=PA84 David Grambs, Literary Companion Dictionary]</ref>
+* '''[[Carpetweed|CARPETWEED]](S)''': makes '''CREWE(S)''' and '''APTED'''.<ref name=tax/>
-* '''CARPETWEED(S)''': makes '''CREWE(S)''' and '''APTED'''.<ref name=tax/>
 * '''CURTAINLESS''': makes '''CRANES''' and '''UTILS'''.<ref name=tax/>
 * '''PAINED''': makes '''PIE''' and '''AND'''.<ref name=woodge/>
+* '''SCHOOLED''': makes '''SHOE''' and '''COLD'''.<ref name=tax/><ref name=wbsw/>
-* '''SCHOOLED''': makes '''SHOE''' and '''COLD'''.<ref name=wbsw/><ref name=tax/>
 * '''SPALLATION(S)''': makes '''SALTO(S)''' and '''PLAIN'''.<ref name=tax>[http://www.questrel.com/records.html Taxonomy of Wordplay]</ref>
+* '''TRIENNIALLY''': makes '''TINILY''' and '''RENAL'''.{{citation needed|date=February 2016}} (This was discovered by Dorse in 1949.<ref name=wws/> It has been claimed that ''triennially'' is the longest alternade,<ref>[http://www.faqs.org/faqs/puzzles/archive/language/part3/ rec.puzzles Archive (language), part 19 of 35]</ref> but other 11-letter examples exist where the resultant words are obscure.<ref name=tax/>)
-* '''TRIENNIALLY''': makes '''TINILY''' and '''RENAL'''.<ref>[http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Wordplay Wordplay]</ref> (This was discovered by Dorse in 1949.<ref name=wws/> It has been claimed that ''triennially'' is the longest alternade<ref>[http://www.faqs.org/faqs/puzzles/archive/language/part3/ rec.puzzles Archive (language), part 19 of 35]</ref>, but other 11-letter examples exist where the resultant words are obscure.<ref name=tax/>)
 * '''TROUPE(S)''': makes '''TOP(S)''' and '''RUE'''.<ref name=woodge/>
 * '''TRUANCIES''': makes '''TUNIS''' and '''RACE'''.<ref name=Grambs/>
+* '''[[Waist|WAIST]]''': makes '''WIT''' and '''AS'''.<ref name=woodge/>
-* '''WAIST''': makes '''WIT''' and '''AS'''.<ref name=woodge/>
 * '''WAISTS''': makes '''WIT''' and '''ASS'''.
 ===Every third letter===
-* '''LACERATED''': the 1st, 4th and 7th letters make '''LET'''; the 2nd, 5th and 8th letters make '''ARE'''; and the 3rd, 6th and 9th letters make '''CAD'''. <ref name=woodge/>
+* '''[[Laceration|LACERATED]]''': the 1st, 4th and 7th letters make '''LET'''; the 2nd, 5th and 8th letters make '''ARE'''; and the 3rd, 6th and 9th letters make '''CAD'''.<ref name=woodge/>
 ==References==
@@ Line 46: / Line 41: @@
 ==Sources==
+* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090124185157/http://puzzlers.org/guide/combine.html Words Built From Smaller Words]
-* [http://www.puzzlers.org/guide/combine.html Words Built From Smaller Words]
+* [https://archive.today/20130209101557/http://www.woodge.com/language/lexicon.html Woodge.com.lexicon]
-* [http://www.woodge.com/language/lexicon.html Woodge.com.lexicon]
 [[Category:Word play]]
+[[Category:Word games]]