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Reference Directory > Dictionaries > Etymology

Etymology

American Dialect Society
A scholarly association dedicated to the study of the English language in North America.

http://www.americandialect.org/

Dave Wilton's Etymology Page
Devoted to etymology of common words and slang phrases.

http://www.wordorigins.org/

Etymologic
The brain-twisting etymology game.

http://www.etymologic.com/

Exploring English Words
Exploring English words that are derived from Latin and Greek sources with etymologies and vocabulary activities.

http://www.wordexplorations.info/

Focusing on Words
An advanced Latin-Greek-English vocabulary source of etymologies with thematic units of roots, prefixes, and suffixes, and vocabulary quizzes.

http://www.wordfocus.com/

Fun With Word Origins
Samples of the etymological books from word-lover Martha Barnette, author of 'Ladyfingers & Nun's Tummies' and 'A Garden of Words.'

http://www.funwords.com/

MooT
The game of grammar, semantics, and etymology. Play online the game that investigates the history and meaning of English words.

http://www.mootgame.com/

Online Etymology Dictionary
History and evolution of more than 30,000 words, including slang and technical terms.

http://www.etymonline.com/

Pandora's Word Box
Relates medical terminology to the humanities, offering a weekly overview with references to classical etymology.

http://www.pandorawordbox.com/

Take Our Word for It
Weekly etymology magazine.

http://www.takeourword.com/

The Phrase Finder
The meanings and origins of thousands of English phrases and sayings. Also contains a discussion forum to ask a panel questions on the meaning and origin of phrases.

http://www.phrases.org.uk/

The Word Detective
Words and language in a humorous vein. The online version of The Word Detective, a newspaper column answering readers' questions about words and language. Written by Evan Morris.

http://www.word-detective.com/

Word Sources
Includes a searchable database of Latin and Greek roots and affixes, a free newsletter, and links to other sites.

http://www.wordsources.info/

Word Spy
Collection of recently coined words, existing words that have enjoyed a recent renaissance, and older words that are now being used in new ways.

http://www.wordspy.com/