Rootsweb

/ˈrutsˌwɛb/ noun

Definition

A genealogical website and online community for family history research, providing databases and resources for tracing ancestry. One of the oldest and largest genealogy websites on the internet.

Etymology

Compound of 'roots' (family origins) and 'web' (internet), created in the early days of the World Wide Web in the 1990s. The name reflects the metaphor of family trees having roots that extend back through generations.

Kelly Says

RootsWeb revolutionized genealogy by transforming it from dusty library research into a global collaborative effort - suddenly, your cousin in Australia could share a century-old photo of your great-grandmother. It's a perfect example of how the internet can resurrect and democratize traditionally exclusive scholarly pursuits.

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