Wikiquote — a free, community-edited collection of quotations

Structure and typical content

Content is organized into several kinds of pages: author or speaker pages, work pages (for e.g. books, plays, films), topic pages that collect quotations on a theme, and quotation indexes. Entries usually include the quotation in the original language, an English translation when appropriate, bibliographic citations or links to the primary source, and brief explanatory notes. Lists and collections are common, and many pages include sections for:

• Notable quotations attributed to a person
• Quotations extracted from a specific work or text
• Context, historical background, or disputed attributions
• Translations and variant phrasings

History and development

The project began in the early 2000s as an idea to collect notable quotations in a freely editable format. It developed as one of the Wikimedia projects, growing into multiple language editions maintained by volunteer editors. Over time Wikiquote adopted community guidelines about sourcing, attribution and formatting similar in spirit to other Wikimedia sites.

Uses, strengths and limitations

Researchers, writers, educators and general readers consult Wikiquote for quick access to memorable phrasing, to trace attributions, or to find a passage from a work. Strengths include broad coverage, multilingual material and community oversight. Limitations arise when quotations lack reliable citations or when attributions are disputed; users are encouraged to follow provided references or consult primary sources such as published editions or authoritative collections of sayings.

Notable facts and related resources

Wikiquote includes both modern quotations and traditional proverbs, often with discussion of origins and variations. For extended reading on bibliographic or literary contexts, contributors and readers sometimes link to or compare material with collections of books and databases of proverbs. As with other volunteer projects, content quality varies by page and language edition, so verification with the cited sources is recommended.