*SET-U

PERMANENT SOURCE RECORD

ALL SOURCES ↗
BIBLIOGRAPHIC IDENTITYmw-direct

SOURCE
RECORD.

One work. Every claim that depends on it. No citation without a consequence you can inspect.

CLAIM-LEVEL USAGE

11 PUBLIC LINKS INTO THE GRAPH.

This count excludes duplicate dossier-path citations. Open the claims below to see exactly how the source is used.

historical dictionarymw-direct

Direct — Definition, Word History, and First Known Use

AUTHOR / EDITOR
Merriam-Webster Editors
YEAR
2026
PUBLISHER
Merriam-Webster
DOI
Not recorded
SOURCE TYPE
historical dictionary
EXTERNAL RECORD
OPEN ORIGINAL ↗
5CANONICAL EDGES
1WITNESSES
0COMPARISONS
0CONTEXT LINKS
0RANKED REVEALS
2DISPUTES
3JOURNEY STAGES
1WORD DOSSIERS
01

CONTRARIAN TRUTH CLAIMS

RANKED REVEALS THAT CITE THIS SOURCE

0
No ranked contrarian reveal currently cites this source.
02

SCHOLARLY DISAGREEMENT

DISPUTE POSITIONS THAT CITE THIS SOURCE

2
03

CANONICAL RELATIONSHIP CLAIMS

EDGES THAT CITE THIS SOURCE

5
EDGE 782supportsestablished

direct → directen

Present-Day English → Middle English · continuation

SOUND
Modern direct continues Middle English directen with loss of the infinitive ending and stabilized modern spelling.
MEANING
Guiding, aiming, ordering, straightness, and immediacy expand across verb, adjective, and adverb functions.
SCHOLAR / EDITOR
Merriam-Webster Editors · American Heritage Dictionary Editors
Definitions, Word History, and First Known Use

Supplies the polyfunctionality, Middle English history, and fourteenth-century horizon.

OPEN THE PERMANENT CLAIM ↗
EDGE 783supportsestablished

directen → directer

Middle English → Anglo-French · borrowing

SOUND
Middle English directen was borrowed through Anglo-French directer in the verb route.
MEANING
To guide or point crosses into English.
SCHOLAR / EDITOR
Merriam-Webster Editors
Etymology, verb and adverb: Middle English from Anglo-French directer

Publishes the immediate medieval verb route.

OPEN THE PERMANENT CLAIM ↗
EDGE 784supportsestablished

directer → dīrēctus

Anglo-French → Latin · borrowing

SOUND
Anglo-French directer continues Latin dīrēctus through Romance verbal formation.
MEANING
Straightened supplies directing and guiding senses.
SCHOLAR / EDITOR
Merriam-Webster Editors
Etymology: Anglo-French directer from Latin directus

Publishes the Romance-to-Latin step.

OPEN THE PERMANENT CLAIM ↗
EDGE 785supportsestablished

dīrēctus → dīrigere

Latin → Latin · inflection

SOUND
Latin dīrēctus is the past participle of dīrigere.
MEANING
What has been set straight becomes straight or directed.
SCHOLAR / EDITOR
Merriam-Webster Editors · American Heritage Dictionary Editors
Etymology: directus, past participle of dirigere

Publishes the participial relationship.

OPEN THE PERMANENT CLAIM ↗
EDGE 801supportsestablished

direct → dīrēctus

Present-Day English → Latin · parallel borrowing

SOUND
The English adjective direct is reported from Latin dīrēctus without requiring the Anglo-French verb stage.
MEANING
Straight, undeviating, and immediate adjective senses enter beside the verbal guidance route.
SCHOLAR / EDITOR
Merriam-Webster Editors
Etymology, adjective: Middle English from Latin directus

Publishes the adjective route separately from the verb and adverb.

OPEN THE PERMANENT CLAIM ↗
04

LEXICAL ATTESTATIONS

WITNESSES REPORTED BY THIS SOURCE

1
directSOURCE-REPORTED

direct

Merriam-Webster first-known-use report for direct

OPEN WITNESS 172 ↗
05

COMPARATIVE EVIDENCE

COGNATES, DESCENDANTS, AND RELATIVES

0
No comparative-relative record currently cites this source.
06

GEOGRAPHIC AND TEMPORAL CLAIMS

JOURNEY STAGES THAT CITE THIS SOURCE

3
07

NON-GENEALOGICAL CONNECTIONS

HISTORICAL CONTEXT, KEPT SEPARATE

0
No non-genealogical context link currently cites this source.
08

WORD-FAMILY REUSE

DOSSIERS THAT DEPEND ON THIS SOURCE

1
direct10 CLAIM LINKS↗

4 entry-scoped citations map reviewed dossier paths onto the canonical claims above.