Source and citation policy

Preferred evidence

Primary and specialist references come first: regional dictionaries, language institutions, academic or historical collections, government and educational resources, and reputable publications documenting real usage.

How sources are used

A citation supports the existence or documented sense of a term. LocalMean still writes an original explanation, adds register and caution notes, and avoids copying source wording. A source does not prove that every speaker uses a word in the same way.

Source limitations

Informal and emerging expressions may require several signals. Social posts can illustrate context but are not sufficient alone for a definitive entry. Uncertain, disputed, or highly local meanings should be labelled carefully or held from publication.

Publication threshold

An entry cannot enter the generated site unless it has a named HTTPS source, two examples, two related meanings, pronunciation guidance, register, usage notes, and a caution.