Wiktionary (English)
Where does "Wiktionary" come from?
Wiktionary is a blend of two distinct linguistic lineages: 'wiki' and 'dictionary'. While 'wiki' derives from the Hawaiian word 'wikiwiki,' meaning 'quick,' the term 'dictionary' traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root '*deyḱ-', meaning 'to point out,' ultimately evolving through Latin and Middle English. Together, they form a name that marries the rapid, collaborative spirit of modern web technology with the long, structured history of scholarly word recording.
Full etymology tree
- Wiktionary (English), 'A collaborative project run by the Wikimedia Foundation to produce a free and complete dictionary in every language; the dictionaries, collectively, produced by that project.'
- blend wiki (English), 'A collaborative website which can be directly edited merely by using a web browser, often by anyone who has access to it.'
- abbreviation WikiWikiWeb (English)
- compound wikiwiki (Hawaiian), 'to be quick, to be speedy'
- inherited *witi (Proto-Polynesian)
- compound web (English), 'The silken structure which a spider builds using silk secreted from the spinnerets at the caudal tip of its abdomen; a spiderweb.'
- inherited web (Middle English), 'Woven fabric; fabric manufactured by weaving.'
- inherited webb (Old English), 'web'
- inherited *wabją (Proto-Germanic), 'something woven'
- inherited *webʰ- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to weave, braid'
- inherited *wabją (Proto-Germanic), 'something woven'
- inherited webb (Old English), 'web'
- inherited web (Middle English), 'Woven fabric; fabric manufactured by weaving.'
- compound wikiwiki (Hawaiian), 'to be quick, to be speedy'
- abbreviation WikiWikiWeb (English)
- blend dictionary (English), 'A reference work listing words or names from one or more languages, usually ordered alphabetically, explaining each word's meanings or senses, oftentimes also containing information on its etymology, pronunciation, usage, semantic relations, translations, as well as other relevant information.'
- inherited dixionare (Middle English), 'dictionary'
- learned borrowing dictiōnārium (Latin), 'dictionary'
- compound dictiō (Latin), 'a saying, speaking, speech, talk, oratory'
- derived dictus (Latin), 'said, uttered; mentioned, spoken, having been said.'
- derived dīcō (Latin), 'to say, talk, speak, utter, mention'
- inherited *deikō (Proto-Italic), 'to show, indicate'
- inherited *déyḱeti (Proto-Indo-European), 'to be pointing out'
- derived *deyḱ- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to point out, to show'
- inherited *déyḱeti (Proto-Indo-European), 'to be pointing out'
- inherited *deikō (Proto-Italic), 'to show, indicate'
- derived dīcō (Latin), 'to say, talk, speak, utter, mention'
- affix *-tjō (Proto-Italic), 'Forms action or result nouns from verb stems.'
- inherited *-tis (Proto-Indo-European), 'Derives abstract/action nouns from verb roots.'
- derived dictus (Latin), 'said, uttered; mentioned, spoken, having been said.'
- compound -ārium (Latin), 'Used primarily to form nouns of purpose from other nouns, such as places where things are kept or objects used for a particular end. See usage notes.'
- derived -ārius (Latin), 'Used to form adjectives from nouns or numerals.'
- inherited *-āsios (Proto-Italic), 'Forms relational adjectives to nouns (and rarely numerals).'
- derived *-āso- (Proto-Italic)
- inherited *-eh₂so- (Proto-Indo-European)
- affix *-yós (Proto-Italic)
- derived *-āso- (Proto-Italic)
- inherited *-āsios (Proto-Italic), 'Forms relational adjectives to nouns (and rarely numerals).'
- derived -ārius (Latin), 'Used to form adjectives from nouns or numerals.'
- compound dictiō (Latin), 'a saying, speaking, speech, talk, oratory'
- learned borrowing dictiōnārium (Latin), 'dictionary'
- inherited dixionare (Middle English), 'dictionary'
- blend wiki (English), 'A collaborative website which can be directly edited merely by using a web browser, often by anyone who has access to it.'
Direct ancestors
Updated June 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris