Wiktionary:Referencing dictionaries
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This is a Wiktionary policy, guideline or common practices page. Specifically it is a policy think tank, working to develop a formal policy. |
| Policies – Entries: CFI - EL - NORM - NPOV - QUOTE - REDIR - DELETE. Languages: LT - AXX. Others: BLOCK - BOTS - VOTES. |
Dictionaries are not primary sources, and cannot be used for attestation.
Dictionaries are, however, useful references for substantiation (as per ELE).
Use and misuse of referencing dictionaries[edit]
- Referring to other dictionaries is fine to clarify (or even correct) a definition.
- But other dictionaries are not valid citations for a request for verification.
Appearance in a dictionary does not satisfy the Criteria For Inclusion (CFI), and a dictionary reference does not satisfy a Request For Verification (RFV).
User-contributed dictionaries[edit]
User-contributed dictionaries are problematic because they are prone to nonce words and protologisms, but can provide color.
Referencing them as a main citation can be an indication that a word does not meet CFI.