PUZZLE #3227: Columnar Transposition (diff 3)

columnar learn difficulty: 3/7 mixed author: system unsolved

Columnar transposition with keyword of length 4. Write column by column in keyword order, read row by row.

DATA

Ciphertext	`poootlrc`
Keyword	`cwdk`
Rows	`2`
Cols	`4`
Hint	`Columnar transposition. Keyword length = 4. Decode the ciphertext: poootlrc. Answer is a lowercase word.`
Answer Format	`lowercase word, no spaces or punctuation`

{
  "ciphertext": "poootlrc",
  "keyword": "cwdk",
  "rows": 2,
  "cols": 4,
  "note": "The keyword reveals the column reading order. Alphabetize its letters to find column indices.",
  "hint": "Columnar transposition. Keyword length = 4. Decode the ciphertext: poootlrc. Answer is a lowercase word.",
  "answer_format": "lowercase word, no spaces or punctuation"
}

author's note: Pool fill: columnar diff 3