The following array of "*'s" 'masks' four three letter words which are to be read in the usual practice of left to right, and top down.

* * * * * * * *

Now here are some considerations.
1. Letter frequency is not restricted.
2. When all places are filled, all letters are rotated one place (direction is immaterial) around the square. At that point you must still have four three letter words.
3. Common English words are preferred.

(Words borrowed from other languages are acceptable, but try to limit words rarely found in English.)

Using some obscure words (some found only in unabridged lexicons), I was able to derive a few solutions to my proposed challenge.
Though I would have preferred that the middle row and middle column words were different from each other in each grid rotation, I had not made that a requirement.

counter-
clockwise          clockwise
  BAN      ABA      GAB
  AUA      GUN      AUA
  GAM      AMA      MAN

  MAN      AMA      GAM
  AIA      GIN      AIA
  GAB      ABA      BAN

  LAB      ALA      MAL
  AIA      MIB      AIA
  MAN      ANA      NAB

• ABA - a fabric woven from goat and camel hair; a sleeveless garment 
• AGA - a Turkish commander
• AIA - an Indian nurse-maid
• ALA - a winglike structure or part
• AMA - a maidservant
• ANA - a collection; of each; both in the same quantity
• AUA - a New Zealand fish
• BAG - a pouch or sack; a purse; a suitcase; to put into a bag
• BAN - to prohibit; a unit of currency of Romania
• BUM - hobo; worthless; to drone
• GAB - to chatter
• GAM - a leg of a person; to join up in a school of whales
• GIN - to process cotton; an alcholic beverage; gin rummy; a snare
• GUN - a portable firearm; cannon; to shoot; throttle
• LIN - waterfall; to cease
• MAG - a magazine; to chatter like a magpie
• MAL - pain; sickness
• MAN - to provide with workers; an adult male human; a person
• MIB - a playing marble
• NAB - to seize
• NAM - to steal; legal seizure of goods

Edited on August 18, 2008, 11:41 am

Posted by Dej Mar on 2008-08-17 09:42:22