Online Etymology Dictionary
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| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | Online (c.2000) |
| Headquarters | Lancaster, PA, USA |
| Key people | Douglas Harper, Founder Dan McCormack, Web Design and coding |
| Employees | 1 |
| Website | etymonline.com |
| Type of site | Etymological dictionary |
| Registration | no |
| Available in | English |
| Current status | active |
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The Online Etymology Dictionary is an online dictionary that describes the origins of English-language words.[1] The abbreviation, OED, coincides with the frequently used acronym for the Oxford English Dictionary.
Contents |
[edit] Description
Douglas Harper originally created the online dictionary as a website where he could share some information on books and writers. Since then it has evolved into the etymology dictionary. Harper states it has become a site for people "...who are curious about what sort of no-life obsessive-compulsive would do something like that."[2] The dictionary uses the "history and evolution of more than 30,000 words, including slang and technical terms."[3] It is described on its home page as:
| “ | ... a map of the wheel-ruts of modern English. Etymologies are not definitions; they're explanations of what our words meant and how they sounded 600 or 2,000 years ago.
The dates beside a word indicate the earliest year for which there is a surviving written record of that word (in English, unless otherwise indicated). This should be taken as approximate, especially before about 1700, since a word may have been used in conversation for hundreds of years before it turns up in a manuscript that has had the good fortune to survive the centuries.[4] |
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[edit] Reviews and reputation
The Online Etymology Dictionary has been referenced by Ohio University's Library as a relevant etymological resource[1] and cited in the Chicago Tribune as one of the “best resources for finding just the right word.”[5] It is used by many etymologists and is cited in numerous articles as a reliable source for explaining the history and evolution of words.[6][7][8] Worldstart.com describes that “...this site is all about a love of language, and will teach you how it all began for each word.”[9] A further proof of the site's reach is its Sponsor page, which frequently receives new sponsors[10].
- In 2007 etymonline.com was the first search result returned for the term etymology from Google[11] and Yahoo.[12]
- In 2009 the website was valued at approximately $118,841 based on its statistics.[13]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Ohio University, Online Etymology Dictionary. Created 2003, http://infotree.library.ohiou.edu/single-records/2705.html, accessed 2007-01-05.
- ^ Online Etymology Dictionary Biography of Douglas Harper, Accessed 2007-01-05
- ^ Google Inc., Google Directory - Reference > Dictionaries > Etymology. Accessed 2007-10-14.
- ^ Online Etymology Dictionary. Accessed December 31, 2006
- ^ Bierma, Nathan. Internet has best resources for finding just the right word. Chicago Tribune, January 3, 2007, republished by www.factiva.com, http://proxy.bib.uottawa.ca:2241/sb/default.aspx?NAPC=S&fcpil=en, accessed 2007-01-05.
- ^ Rudeen, Mike. Any questions?; Ask! away on the News' new blog. Rocky Mountain News, December 18, 2006, republished by www.factiva.com, accessed 2007-01-05
- ^ Murali, D. Big results require big ambitions. Business Line (The Hindu), July 21, 2006, Section:Opinion, republished by Factiva.com, accessed 2007-01-05
- ^ Whyte, Ellen. Online resources to help improve your vocabulary. New Straits Times, October 27, 2005, republished by www.factiva.com, accessed 2007-01-05
- ^ Online etymology dictionary. Worldstart.com, http://www.worldstart.com/tips/tips.php/1527, accessed 2007-01-05.
- ^ Sponsor a Word. etymonline.com, http://www.etymonline.com/working/sponsors.php
- ^ Google Inc., Google Search. (Search for etymology), http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=etymology&meta=, accessed 2007-01-05 and 2009-12-25 Note: out of approximately 8.68 million hits.
- ^ Yahoo Inc., Yahoo Search. (Search for etymology), http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=etymology&fr=yfp-t-501&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8, accessed 2007-01-05. Note: out of approximately 5.6 million hits.
- ^ Hotaweb. Published by RanTop.com. Accessed 2009-12-25 15h00 EST. Note: Daily Visits: 8,822 Daily Page Views: 23,580, Monthly Visits: 264,640, Monthly Page Views: 707,383
