Editorial Policy

Allen, founder and editor. Allen is an independent developer who builds etymology-based tools for English learners, including the wordDNA app.

Allen is responsible for what OpenEtymology publishes and reads every correction request.

OpenEtymology is not affiliated with a university or a commercial dictionary publisher.

• Meaning first. Every entry starts with what the word means and how it is used today, in plain English a learner can follow.
• Real word parts only. We split a word into a prefix, root and suffix only where that split is supported by its history or clearly helps recognition, and we say which of the two it is.
• History without jargon. Word histories explain how a meaning developed without assuming the reader knows linguistics.
• Useful connections. Related words are linked when they share an origin or a meaningful word part, not just similar spelling.

Most entries were first drafted with AI assistance, using publicly available linguistic and historical references, and then organised into a consistent format for learners. AI drafts can contain errors, so they are not treated as finished.

We review entries by hand, starting with the words people look up most and the words on common exam lists. Review checks the modern meaning and examples, the word-part breakdown, the stated origin against reference sources, and the links to related words. A reviewed entry can still be corrected if new evidence or a reader report shows it is wrong.

Each English entry shows its review status under the word:

• Reviewed by Allen, with the month of review: the entry has been checked by hand as described above.
• AI-assisted draft · not yet reviewed: the entry has not been checked by an editor yet. Use it with care, and tell us about mistakes.

Reviewed entries also say how well supported the word’s origin is:

• Established: reference works agree on the origin.
• Probable: the main line is well supported, but some details are uncertain.
• Uncertain: the origin is not known, and any explanation given is only a suggestion.
• Disputed: scholars disagree, and the entry gives the main explanations.

Chinese-mode entries are a separate data set and do not show these labels yet.

Etymology is based on surviving written evidence, and that evidence is often incomplete. When scholars disagree or an origin is unknown, the entry should say so in plain words, such as “probably”, “uncertain” or “disputed”, rather than present a neat story as fact. Popular word-origin stories that lack evidence are not repeated as true.

See the Disclaimer for more on the limits of etymological evidence.

Entries are written in our own words. We consult reference works on word history, but we do not copy definitions or text from other dictionaries, and we do not reproduce proprietary dictionary databases. Read more on the Sources & Copyright page.

If you find a mistake in a meaning, pronunciation, word part, history, example or related-word link, email openetymology@proton.me. Please include the word and, if you can, a source that supports the correction. We aim to reply to correction reports within 14 days, and we fix confirmed errors as soon as we can.

The contact page lists what to include in a report.

OpenEtymology may show advertising to pay for hosting. Advertisers have no say in what entries contain. Links to the wordDNA app are to our own product.