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HotForWords Forums » Philology and Etymology

Good Resources for Research ONLINE

(23 posts)
  • Started 11 months ago by HotForWords
  • Latest reply from Jeorney

  1. HotForWords
    Key Master

    Here is a list of great resources ONLINE for researching word and phrase origins.

    Oxford English Dictionary (OED) - this is my main source, butit costs about $25 a month for a subscription

    The Online Etymology Dictionary is a great place to do an initial search on an origin. I find that they match many of my other sources, including the OED and a bunch of my books.

    Wordorigins.org, by the author of a great book called Word Myths, this website has great stories on words as well as phrases.

    The Word Detective, another great resource.

    I'll keep adding more in a bit.

    Posted 11 months ago #

  2. Che Rambler
    Member

    Now we will know all your secrets or are you preparing us to be on our own should your life takes a different direction? Say it ain't sooooo!

    Posted 11 months ago #

  3. buzzword
    Member

    another good source is the person using the word or meaning. ask them where they learned it and how it is used. seek out others who may use the word or phrase and enquire further. so many words are not yet recognized by the formal published sources. i've learned of so many new words and phrases just by the dialogues i've had online. i would not have understood many them if my search ended with an official source. fo' shizzle!

    Posted 11 months ago #

  4. popzzz
    Member

    The absolute most convenient tool that I could NOT live without is:

    1-Click Answers from answers.com
    Get info on any word on your screen instantly.

    Download 1-Click AnswersTM for Windows and then Alt-Click on any word in any program on your screen for a pop-up window with a concise AnswerTip. This new feature won't interrupt your work, and if the short version of the Answer isn't enough, the full collection of sources on that topic is just a click away with the "Read more" button.

    6. I'm sure some of you (if not all) would find it MOST useful.

    7. HTH .....
    popzzz

Posted 11 months ago #

  • Greatest Potential
    Member

    This is an awesome topic! How about slang words? We ever going to get into a discussion on those too?

    Posted 11 months ago #

  • Captain Jack
    Member

    Thanks M! My other hard drive crashed and I lost all my bookmarks. Oh wait, I think I backed them up on google. Amazing how talking about ones problems triggers memories that solves questions.

    Posted 11 months ago #

  • Captain Jack
    Member

    The Books I use for researching:

    The Oxford Companion To Ships & The Sea - Edited by Peter Kemp - 1976

    The Language of Sailing - By Richard Mayne - 2000

    These books below I take with a grain of salt for they have many mistakes:

    Salty Dog Talk - Bill Beavis & Richard McCloskey - 1995

    With a Pinch of Salt - Captain Nick Bates - 2006

    I have a few others but there lost in my storage unit.

    Posted 11 months ago #

  • Greatest Potential
    Member

    CaptainJack, read any good books on knot making? I just had to ask. Seabound one word or two words I seen a cool site on pirate talk, see if I can find that, Arrrrr...

    Posted 11 months ago #

  • Greatest Potential
    Member

    Aye, this here book is the book ev'r seafaring buckaneer needs tucked away in his booty satchel: The Pirate Primer Mastering the Language of Swashbucklers & Rogues George Choundas Books

    Posted 11 months ago #

  • Captain Jack
    Member

    @greatestpotential, Yes, I think it's two words, not only I have the site booked marked I own Pirattitude by David Barry, nope I don't have that book yet.

    Posted 11 months ago #

  • bsomebody
    Member

    I like to use Dictionary.com I t will give a few different dictionary sources. It also has a thesaurus and reference feature. I would appreciate M to check this out and let me know what she thinks of it. I have hard copies of American Heritage and Webster's Dictionaries. I need to get a historical dictionary. Why, yes! Of course, it will be OED, but is the Wal-Mart $4.99 okay for serious, post graduate scholarship, or do I need to get a "real" copy?
    As far as my resources, my second favorite is JSTOR , but it has a restricted access. My access is through my school, so I do not know how someone would get access. JSTOR consolodates history journal articles and has an excellent search engine included. It is great for looking up very detailed history subjects.
    My absolute favorite resource is the public library. Many libraries now have interlibrary loans, which will increase your buffet dramataically. And it is all FREE!

    Posted 11 months ago #

  • Greatest Potential
    Member

    CaptainJack, thanks for that suggest on "Pirattitude by David Barry" I don't have that book, nor the Pirate Primer one, however, I was browsing through Pirate Primer at Border's bookstore and I couldn't put it down. I better quickly jot both of those book titles down on my Santa wish list and then let one of Santa elves decide on which book to stuff in my stocking (laughs)

    Posted 11 months ago #

  • Captain Jack
    Member

    I prefer to use The Free Dictionary for you can use it with the google tool bar. All you do is highlight a word and click on the button. It will open up a new page with the definition ready to read. I still like to use Dictionary.com for I have been using it for years and know it very well. It's just that The Free Dictionary has many more capability that Dictionary.com.

    Posted 11 months ago #

  • Captain Jack
    Member

    @greatestpotential, Your welcome. I will probably pick up a copy of Pirate Primer someday.

    Posted 11 months ago #

  • popzzz
    Member

    Have you tried 1-Click Answers from answers.com?

    It works in ANY program on your computer ..... windoze or mac .....

    See my earlier post for more info .....

    Posted 11 months ago #

  • Capman911
    Member

    @ Popzzz I just found the version for FireFox. It works very well. I had been using Google right click from my mouse. But it sends you to another tabbed page. This is easier.

    Posted 11 months ago #

  • popzzz
    Member

    Slickern snail snot on a seal's snoot ain't it CP?

    Merry Christmas to all! (or whatever flavor you are)

    Posted 11 months ago #

  • dudesonroad
    Member

    online research

    Posted 10 months ago #

  • dudesonroad
    Member

    additional sources

    Posted 10 months ago #

  • skaterguy
    Member

    As englisch is not my native language, i'm sometimes stuck on especially the "non-official" language. My best resource here is;

    http://www.urbandictionary.com

    and it's hilarious too!!! :)

    Posted 10 months ago #

  • Captain Jack
    Member

    Not to get off the topic of this discussion. I learned a new word, [butit]. I don't completely understand it's complete meaning but I feel confident that someone will clue me in.

    Posted 10 months ago #

  • Greatest Potential
    Member

    Twittonary ~ A Twitter Dictionary

    Posted 5 months ago #

  • Jeorney
    Member

    Phrase Finder - The meanings and origins of over 1,200 English sayings, phrases and idioms. Also includes a Phrase Thesaurus.

    Posted 5 months ago #

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