Etymonline

History and description

Harper has described the project as an attempt to provide a comprehensive, freely available etymological reference online, characterizing his work primarily as compiling and evaluating earlier etymological scholarship. The dictionary distinguishes etymology from definition and notes that the two should not be treated as interchangeable.

Sources and methodology

Etymonline's etymologies are based on established print dictionaries and related scholarship. Harper lists the Oxford English Dictionary, the Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology, works by Ernest Klein and Ernest Weekley, and Proto–Indo-European references such as Calvert Watkins among the site's core sources.

The site maintains a published bibliography of principal reference works consulted in the compilation of database, but does not attribute individual citations. Etymonline has also been characterized in computational linguistics literature as a compilation drawing on numerous published sources.

Platform and services

In addition to the main dictionary, Etymonline publishes editorial columns and maintains an official discussion forum. The website offers a paid subscription service, Etymonline Premium. It also distributes official apps and browser tools, including iOS and Android apps and a Chrome extension.

According to its terms of service, the site asserts proprietary rights in its content and restricts unauthorized reuse of its material.