Etymonline
| Error creating thumbnail: File missing Logo as of 2025[update] | |
| Error creating thumbnail: File missing Homepage in 2007 | |
| Type of business | Private |
|---|---|
Type of site | Etymological dictionary |
| Available in | English |
| Founded | c. 2000 |
| Headquarters | , United States |
| Owner | Harper Family LLC |
| Key people |
|
| Employees | 1 |
| URL | etymonline |
| Registration | Optional |
| Current status | Active |
Content license | Proprietary |
| OCLC number | 51773921 |
The Online Etymology Dictionary, also known by its domain name Etymonline, is an American online dictionary that describes the origins of English words, written and compiled mainly by Douglas R. Harper.[1]
Description
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Harper is an American Civil War historian and copy editor for LNP Media Group.[2][3] He compiled the etymology dictionary to record the history and evolution of more than 50,000 words, including slang and technical terms.[4] The core of its etymology information stems from The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology by Robert Barnhart, Ernest Klein's Comprehensive Etymology Dictionary of the English Language, The Middle English Compendium, The Oxford English Dictionary, and the 1889–1902 Century Dictionary.[5] Harper also researches on digital archives. On the Etymonline homepage, Harper says that he considers himself "essentially and for the most part" a compiler and evaluator of etymology research made by others.
Reviews and reputation
[edit | edit source]The Online Etymology Dictionary has been cited by Oxford University's "Arts and Humanities Community Resource" catalog as "an excellent tool for those seeking the origins of words".[6] It was also cited in the Chicago Tribune as one of the "best resources for finding just the right word".[7] It is cited in academic work as a useful reference for etymology.[8][9][10] In addition, it has been used as a data source for quantitative scholarly research.[11][12]
References
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- ^ The dictionary's principal sources appear at Sources @ Online Etymology Dictionary
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