Last updated: July 1, 2026
These terms govern your use of Rootles (the games and everything at rootles.xyz). By using the site you agree to them. If you don't agree, please don't use it.
Ownership
Rootles — including its games, game design, look and feel, source code, text, graphics, artwork, and the selection, structure, and presentation of its puzzles — is created and owned by its author and is protected by copyright and other intellectual-property rights. All rights reserved. "Rootles" and the Rootles wordmark and logo are the author's marks. (The one exception is the underlying word/etymology data, which is derived from openly-licensed sources — see Etymology sources below.)
What you may do
- Play the games for your own personal, non-commercial enjoyment.
- Share links to the site, and share your own daily results.
- Quote a short passage for review or commentary, with attribution to Rootles.
What you may not do
Without the author's prior written permission, you may not:
- Copy, reproduce, republish, or redistribute the games' code, design, artwork, or original written content. (The word/etymology data is separately available under CC BY-SA — see below.)
- Create derivative works — including cloning or closely imitating a game's design, look and feel, or content — or build a competing product from any part of Rootles.
- Use Rootles or any part of it for commercial purposes.
- Scrape, crawl, harvest, or bulk-download the site or its data by automated means, or attempt to extract the underlying puzzle/word databases.
- Remove or obscure any copyright, credit, or proprietary notice.
Want to use something? Ask — permissions and collaborations are welcome by email.
Etymology sources & the data license
The word origins in Rootles are built from openly-licensed references — chiefly Wiktionary and MorphyNet (both CC BY-SA). Because of that, the generated word/etymology data files are themselves offered under CC BY-SA 4.0 — you may reuse that data with attribution and under the same licence (see the privacy policy and credits). That licence covers the data only. It does not extend to the games, their code, design, look and feel, artwork, or original writing, which remain all rights reserved as above.
No warranty
Rootles is provided "as is," for fun and learning, with no warranties of any kind. Etymology is a field of scholarly debate; while entries are checked against Wiktionary, no guarantee is made that every claim is complete or beyond dispute. The author isn't liable for any loss arising from use of the site.
Changes
These terms may be updated from time to time; the "last updated" date above will change when they do. Continued use after a change means you accept the new terms.
Questions about these terms? Get in touch.