http://www.drmardy.com/chiasmus/definition.shtml
chiasmus |kīˈazməs|noun: a rhetorical or literary figure in which words, grammatical constructions, or concepts are repeated in reverse order, in the same or a modified form; e.g., "Poetry is the record of the best and happiest moments of the happiest and best minds." DERIVATIVES: chiastic |kīˈastik|adjective. ORIGIN: mid-17th century (in the general sense "crosswise arrangement"): modern Latin, from Greek khiasmos "crosswise arrangement," from khiazein "mark with the letter chi," from khi "chi."
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Also see "verlan": French wordplay reverses syllables, so pigeon becomes geonpi, etc.
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