CARAD. Good Reason. Introduction & Abbreviations. "It is often forgotten that (dictionaries) are artificial repositories, put together well after the languages they define.
The roots of language are irrational and of a magical nature. "-Jorge Luis Borges, Prologue to "El otro, el mismo. " This project began after I looked for a free dictionary of word origins online and found none. You could subscribe to the Oxford English Dictionary for $550 a year. [In 2004, OED Online lowered the annual subscription for individuals to $295 a year, and introduced monthly subscriptions for $29.95.] Online Etymology Dictionary.