Proto-Germanic (proto-language)

The study of language is aided by means of documented evidence in the form-factor of writing. However, not all languages utilized writing at all points in time. Consequently, scholars rely on the comparative method in order to fill this gap. While useful, this method is not perfect. This is why words that begin with '*' are called reconstructions; they are word forms reconstructed by means of said method.

• What this means: information with 'proto-' or '*' before it is either speculative, understood as accurate by a minority of scholars, or both
• Why this is: there is a lack of attested written records or scholars may disagree
• Why this matters: these data may be inaccurate or subject to rapid change
• Why this is included: reconstructed languages and terms help scholars study historical linguistics; and they encourage open debate

In short, it is not recommended to rely on these data as facts. Before referencing these data for scholarly works, we recommend checking for newer sources. If referencing said data, we recommend introducing them with indeterminate modifiers such as "some evidence may suggest that ..." or "one interpretation by [scholar name] argues that ...", and so forth.