> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://odict.gitbook.io/the-open-dictionary-project/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://odict.gitbook.io/the-open-dictionary-project/odxml/ety.md).

# \<ety>

Etymologies, shortened in ODXML to "ety" for simplicity, are the linguistic roots of a given word. Wiktionary often separates word definitions by their etymologies, however, even single definitions can be related to an etymology. Therefore, it is required each [Entry node](https://www.odict.org/odxml-nodes/entry.html) contain at least one etymology. Etymologies have an optional description attribute, to describe in further detail the origins or root of a word.

## Attributes

| Name        | Type   | Required? |
| ----------- | ------ | --------- |
| description | String | No        |

## Children

| Name                                                    | Required? |
| ------------------------------------------------------- | --------- |
| [\<usage>](/the-open-dictionary-project/odxml/usage.md) | Yes       |