Word game Quordle has found a home appropriate to its theme—Merriam-Webster, publisher of Webster’s Dictionary. The Wordle clone now features a Merriam-Webster logo at the top of its web interface, and its website now redirects to the merriam-webster.com domain.
Neither company made much hype about the acquisition. The only indication of the sale (besides the logo and website location) is a note in the game’s tutorial section. “I’m delighted to announce that Quordle was acquired by Merriam-Webster! I can’t think of a better home for this game. Lots of new features and fun to come, so stay tuned!,” writes Quordle creator Freddie Meyer.
Webster’s Dictionary was first published in 1828 by American lexicographer Noah Webster. However, that wasn’t the first dictionary he published. That was A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language, published in 1806. Since the publication of its first dictionary, Merriam-Webster (founded in 1831) has published scores of dictionaries and other reference books. The very term “Webster’s” is now synonymous with dictionaries.
Merriam-Webster was also among the first services to go online. In 1996 the company launched free access to its entire dictionary and thesaurus for free at the same domain that now hosts Quordle.
Sources: TechCrunch, Engadget
