# Diachronica: Word Origins — Every word is an immigrant > App explores word origins, historical forms, pronunciation, and cognates with sourced evidence. (iPhone/iPad app by LanguageCraft.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diachronica-word-origins/id6783072187 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [LanguageCraft](https://appshunter.io/developer/1029635130) - Category: Reference, Education - Price: Free - Rating: 5.00/5 from 1 App Store ratings - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 15.0 · 2 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2026-07-14 - Data updated: 2026-08-15 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diachronica-word-origins/id6783072187/reviews.md ## What is Diachronica? START WITH A WORD Choose the daily word, pick an example, or search for your own. Diachronica gathers the story, historical forms, pronunciation when a sourced recording exists, and the evidence behind the journey. FOLLOW THE JOURNEY Watch a word move toward modern English on a map. Read each form in order on the timeline. See how its use changed when the corpus data supports it. MEET THE RELATIVES Cognates carry family resemblances across languages. Every displayed cognate has a source mark, so the evidence is always within reach. ACCESSIBLE Diachronica also includes screen-reader labels, keyboard controls, reduced motion, clear loading and error states, and a short guided tour. FOLLOW THE SOURCES Word histories combine Wiktionary-derived etymology with expert datasets including Lexibank, IE-CoR, and WOLD. ASJP and CLICS³ add cross-language context. COCA and Google Books Ngrams support usage views when available. The in-app source ledger explains the datasets and their licenses. English did not grow up alone. Open a word and meet everyone it travelled with. ## Key features - Word origin exploration - Historical form tracking - Pronunciation with recordings - Cognate discovery - Interactive maps and timelines - Source evidence and ledger ## Frequently asked questions about Diachronica ### What is Diachronica? Diachronica is a reference app that allows users to explore the historical journey of words. It provides information on word origins, historical forms, pronunciation, and cognates, supported by evidence from various datasets. ### How does Diachronica track word journeys? Diachronica visualizes a word's movement toward modern English on a map and displays its forms chronologically on a timeline. It shows how word usage has changed when supported by corpus data. ### What sources does Diachronica use for word histories? Word histories in Diachronica combine Wiktionary-derived etymology with expert datasets like Lexibank, IE-CoR, and WOLD. ASJP and CLICS³ provide cross-language context, while COCA and Google Books Ngrams support usage views. ### Can I find related words in other languages with Diachronica? Yes, Diachronica helps you meet the 'relatives' of a word by displaying cognates across languages. Each displayed cognate includes a source mark for easy verification of evidence. ### Is Diachronica accessible for users with disabilities? Diachronica is designed with accessibility in mind, including screen-reader labels, keyboard controls, reduced motion options, clear states for loading and errors, and a guided tour. ### What devices does Diachronica support? Diachronica is available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod devices. ### How often is Diachronica updated? The latest version of Diachronica is 1.2.2, and it was last updated on July 27, 2026. Update frequency information beyond the last update is not provided. ### What is the age rating for Diachronica? Diachronica has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for a wide range of users interested in language. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.2.3 — 2026-08-10 The welcome tour now waits for your first word to load. Clearer audio errors, sharper light-theme contrast, and the tour is fully keyboard-friendly. ### 1.2.2 — 2026-07-27 Diachronica 1.2.2 is a small update around how ratings are invited. After you have spent real time with the app — several visits, a finished tour, and a few words you chose yourself — the system may occasionally invite an App Store rating. Never on first open, never from the cold-start daily word, and never mid-tour. Lookup, journey, and accessibility work continue as before. ### 1.2.1 — 2026-07-25 Caught some quick bugs - thanks for the sharp eyes! Let me know if you ever see anything that's a bit off - although these databases don't have everything, and I don't want to steal from any books! ### 1.2 — 2026-07-19 Every English word is an immigrant, and Diachronica 1.2 gives each journey more room to breathe. Start with the daily word, take the guided tour, hear sourced pronunciations when available, and move between the map, timeline, and usage views. This release also sharpens theme behavior, accessibility, loading states, and source details. ### 1.1 — 2026-07-15 No release notes. ## More apps by LanguageCraft - [WordADay - A Minimalistic Word of The Day App](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wordaday-a-minimalistic-word-of-the-day-app/id1029635131) - [What Color Is This](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/what-color-is-this/id6767490668) - [Idea Tiles: Connect Thoughts](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idea-tiles-connect-thoughts/id6767775306) - [Alt Text Intelligence](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alt-text-intelligence/id6767936719) - [Skymarshal](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skymarshal/id6768003674) - [Mandaza](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mandaza/id6768237815) All apps by LanguageCraft: https://appshunter.io/developer/1029635130 --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-15.*