Etymonline API: Get word origin
Looks up an English word on Etymonline and returns its origin entries, one per part of speech, with the first date mentioned and cross-referenced words.
Unofficial. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Etymonline.
Inputs
Values from the run on Oct 31, 2026, shown under Output.
- Word, required
word English word to look up, such as salary.
salary
Input as JSON
{ "word": "salary"}Output
{ "entries": [ { "heading": "salary (n.)", "entry_link": "https://www.etymonline.com/word/salary" , "earliest_date": "late 13c.", "related_entries": [ "*sal-" ], "origin_explanation": "late 13c., salarie, \"compensation, payment,\" whether periodical, for regular service or for a specific service; from Anglo-French salarie, Old French salaire \"wages, pay, reward,\" from Latin salarium \"an allowance, a stipend, a pension,\" said to be originally \"salt-money, soldier's allowance for the…" }, { "heading": "salary (v.)", "entry_link": "https://www.etymonline.com/word/salary#etymonline_v_48299" , "earliest_date": "late 15c.", "related_entries": [ "salary" ], "origin_explanation": "\"to pay a regular salary to,\" late 15c. (Caxton), from salary (n.). Related: Salaried \"in receipt of a fixed salary\" (c. 1600), which as an adjective in reference to positions originally was contrasted with honorary (\"without pay\"); from 20c. with hourly (\"paid by the hour\")." } ]}Code
curl https://api.fous.com/v1/runs \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $FOUS_API_KEY" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{"method":"etymonline.com/get_word_origin","input":{"word":"salary"}}' # Save as fous.py, then run: python3 fous.pyimport json, os, timefrom urllib.error import HTTPErrorfrom urllib.request import Request, urlopenAPI = "https://api.fous.com/v1/runs" KEY = os.environ["FOUS_API_KEY"]HEADERS = { "Authorization": f"Bearer {KEY}", "Content-Type": "application/json" ,}def call(url, body=None): data = json.dumps(body).encode() if body else None request = Request(url, data, HEADERS) try: with urlopen(request, timeout=120) as r: return r.status, json.load(r) except HTTPError as error: message = json.load(error)["error"]["message"] raise RuntimeError(message) from errorstatus, run = call(API, { "method": "etymonline.com/get_word_origin" , "input": { "word": "salary" }})# 202: still going after 30 s. Ask again until it ends.while status == 202: time.sleep(2) status, run = call(f"{API}/{run['id']}")print(json.dumps(run["data"], indent=2))// Save as fous.mjs, then run: node fous.mjsconst api = "https://api.fous.com/v1/runs" ;const headers = { Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.FOUS_API_KEY}`, "Content-Type": "application/json" ,};let response = await fetch(api, { method: "POST", headers, body: JSON.stringify({ "method": "etymonline.com/get_word_origin" , "input": { "word": "salary" } }), signal: AbortSignal.timeout(120_000),});let run = await response.json();// 202: still going after 30 s. Ask again until it ends.while (response.status === 202) { await new Promise((done) => setTimeout(done, 2_000)); response = await fetch(`${api}/${run.id}`, { headers }); run = await response.json();}if (!response.ok) throw new Error(run.error.message);console.log(run.data);# Connect your agent to Fous once, over MCP (Streamable HTTP):# https://api.fous.com/mcp# Set FOUS_API_KEY first: create a key at https://app.fous.com/keys.# Claude Codeclaude mcp add \ --scope user \ --transport http fous https://api.fous.com/mcp \ --header "Authorization: Bearer ${FOUS_API_KEY:?Set FOUS_API_KEY to your Fous API key}"# Codexcodex mcp add fous \ --url https://api.fous.com/mcp \ --bearer-token-env-var FOUS_API_KEY# Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, Cline and morenpx -y add-mcp https://api.fous.com/mcp -g -n fous \ --header "Authorization: Bearer ${FOUS_API_KEY:?Set FOUS_API_KEY to your Fous API key}"# Then ask your agent:# "Use Fous to run etymonline.com/get_word_origin# with {"word":"salary"}"Over HTTP, the answer’s data holds the output. A run still going after 30 seconds answers 202 with its id: ask GET /v1/runs/{id} until it ends.
Schema
Input schema
{ "type": "object", "required": [ "word" ], "properties": { "word": { "type": "string", "minLength": 1, "description": "English word to look up, such as salary." } }}Output schema
{ "type": "object", "required": [ "entries" ], "properties": { "entries": { "type": "array", "items": { "type": "object", "required": [ "heading", "origin_explanation", "earliest_date", "related_entries", "entry_link" ], "properties": { "heading": { "type": "string", "description": "Entry heading as printed on the page." }, "entry_link": { "type": "string", "description": "Link to this entry on Etymonline." }, "earliest_date": { "type": [ "string", "null" ], "description": "First date mentioned in the origin explanation, as printed." }, "related_entries": { "type": "array", "items": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Words cross-referenced from this origin explanation." }, "origin_explanation": { "type": "string", "description": "Full origin explanation in plain text." } }, "additionalProperties": false }, "description": "Origin entries for the requested word, one per listed part of speech." } }, "additionalProperties": false}- Price
- 1 credit per completed run (1¢ with pay as you go); failed runs are free.
- Method
etymonline.com/get_word_origin- Returns
- heading, origin explanation, earliest date, related entries, entry link
Use it from your agent
Give your agent this line. It reads SKILL.md, gets a Fous API key and connects the Fous MCP server. Its run then takes the method etymonline.com/get_word_origin with the inputs above.
Ask your agent
- Where does the word "salary" come from? I'd like the origin story and when it first showed up in English.
- Look up the etymology of "quarantine" on etymonline.com, including the earliest recorded date and any related words.
- What's the history behind "nice"? I heard it used to mean something totally different. Give me the noun and adjective origins if they differ.
- Pull the etymonline entry for "bankrupt": origin explanation, first attested date, and cross-referenced entries.
- I need the derivation of the word "muscle" plus links to related terms for a vocabulary lesson.
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