𝓔𝓿𝓸𝕃𝕖𝕩 is a series of online comparative dictionaries in different language families.

It was created in 2025 by Alexandre François & Mathieu Dehouck (CNRS—LaTTiCe),
as a companion to their other project 𝓔𝓿𝓸Sem – the database of polysemous cognate sets across the world.

Each 𝓔𝓿𝓸𝕃𝕖𝕩 dictionary serves a double function:

• It constitutes an online comparative dictionary centered on a particular family, written by recognized experts in the field. Whether the dataset was already published elsewhere or is a brand new publication, it can be used as a reference for historical linguists of the target family and area.
• The data compiled here can feed into our 𝓔𝓿𝓸Sem database, which compares semantic paths of evolution across a large number of language families.

Our 𝓔𝓿𝓸𝕃𝕖𝕩 series is already making one dictionary publicly available:

1. A comparative dictionary of Khoe-Kwadi languages
   by Anne Maria Fehn, Anna Smirnitskaya, Tshisimogo Leepang, Hirosi Nakagawa, Admire Phiri & Jorge Rocha

This is still work in progress, which will be revised regularly in the next few months. Please contact us first before citing this work. (Our interface is also in the making.)

Besides Khoe-Kwadi, we are currently developing dictionaries for other language families: in particular, Pama-Nyungan (Australia) and Mande (Western Africa).

An EvoLex dictionary consists at least of two page types:

• an index of etyma as reconstructed for certain protolanguages [example]
• and, (if you click on one of the “etyma” on that list)
  a detailed entry displaying the entire cognate set under that etymon [example]

For detailed explanations about the structure of such entries, see the introduction to the Khoe-Kwadi dictionary.

 

For any question you may have about this project, you can write to alexandre.francois@ens.psl.eu.

We are especially welcoming proposals by historical linguists who would like their etymological datasets to be published with us (in open access, free of charge for authors and readers).