A post shared on Facebook claims the word “homework” spelled backwards translates to “child abuse” in Latin.

Verdict: False

The word “krowemoh” does not have meaning in Latin.

Fact Check:

Latin, the language of Ancient Rome, spread with the Roman Empire’s expansion, survived its collapse and remained in learned use throughout the Middle Ages, according to The British Library. Modern “Romance” languages, including Spanish, French and Italian, originated from Latin, Illinois Wesleyan University’s Greek and Roman Studies Department’s website states.

In recent weeks, multiple Facebook users have attempted to suggest in posts that the Latin term for “child abuse” is “krowemoh,” the word “homework” spelled backwards. There is, however, no evidence that is the case. (RELATED: Did Cicero Say This Quote About Ancient Rome?)

Several Latin-to-English online dictionaries show that there is no translation for the word “krowemoh.” The Latin phrase for “child abuse” is “puer abusus,” according to Google Translate. The application’s Latin translation for “homework” is “duis congue sem.”

The classical Latin alphabet had 23 letters, not including the letter “W,” further adding to the claim’s dubiousness. In the Latin language, the letter “W” developed out of the letter “V” in the Middle Ages, the Encyclopaedia Britannica states. The letter “U” originated from “V” in a similar way, according to the encyclopedia.

It’s possible the inaccurate notion that “krowemoh” is the Latin word for “child abuse” may stem from a March 2013 tweet sent by the Twitter handle @mallorymac97. An image of Google search results featuring the tweet appeared on TikTok in January 2021 with the hashtag “#krowemoh.”