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Look an Old Norse word up

norse_search
Read-onlyIdempotent

Look an Old Norse word up on Wiktionary and return its senses plus full declension/conjugation tables — attested content (including the verbs' mediopassive voice), not invented. Any form of the word works; an inflected query is resolved to its lemma automatically via previously cached paradigms and the result notes the resolution. With search_language='eng' the query is an English word instead: the result lists its per-sense Old Norse equivalents (the translations block) plus their expanded entries. Returns Markdown plus the same result as structuredContent matching the declared outputSchema.

Results are cached server-side; first-time queries reach the live upstream politely and calls are rate limited — on a rate-limit error, wait a few seconds and retry. Content is from en.wiktionary.org (CC BY-SA 4.0 — attribute and share alike if republished).

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
queryYesThe word to look up, in the language search_language names. Old Norse (default): a SINGLE Old Norse word, any form — an inflected form ('mǫnnum') is resolved to its lemma ('maðr') automatically via cached paradigms, and the result says so; diacritics are optional once a paradigm is cached ('madr' and 'mathr' both find maðr, 'monnum' finds mǫnnum). English (search_language='eng'): the English word whose Old Norse equivalents you want — multiword entries like 'apple tree' work.
max_formsNoOptional override for how many inflection tables to expand this call (0–12). On an uncached query each table is one politely paced upstream fetch, so high values on cold queries are slow. Omit for the server default.
include_formsNoWhen true (default), each match's full declension/conjugation table is returned INLINE — usable cases/tenses (and the verbs' mediopassive voice) in ONE call, no follow-up norse_get_inflections. Set false for a cheap screen of which entries exist. Bounded by a per-search cap — use max_forms to adjust per call. For eng queries this governs the expanded Old Norse entries; the per-sense translations list itself is always returned.
search_languageNoLanguage the query word is in: 'non' (default) looks the Old Norse word up directly; 'eng' finds the Old Norse equivalents of an English word (per-sense, from Wiktionary's translation tables) and returns their full entries. Glosses are in English either way.non

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
foundYesFalse when nothing matched. For an eng query, True means Old Norse translations were found — entries may still be empty when none of them could be expanded (see translations).
queryYes
sourceNoWiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org), Old Norse entries. Wikimedia Foundation. Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0; attribution and share-alike required when republishing. (CC BY-SA 4.0)
entriesNo
handlesNo
languageYes
translationsNoPopulated only for eng queries (always [] for non): the Old Norse terms each English sense translates to, in sense order. Entries/handles below are the expanded dictionary entries of those terms.
resolved_fromNoThe original inflected query when resolved; else empty. non queries only — always empty for eng results.
search_methodNoHow the match was found: 'direct' = the query itself matched; 'lemma_index' = an inflected form resolved via a previously cached paradigm; 'translations' = an English query resolved via Wiktionary translation tables.direct
resolved_lemmaNoThe lemma actually searched when resolved; else empty. non queries only — always empty for eng results.
forms_truncatedNoHow many handles did NOT get an inline table because the per-search cap was reached.
translations_truncatedNoHow many distinct translated lemmas were NOT expanded into entries because the per-search expansion cap was reached (they still appear under translations).

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. Changed6 schema fields changed
    • changedInput schema / properties / include_forms / description
      Previous value: -"When true (default), each match's full declension/conjugation table is returned INLINE — usable cases/tenses (and the verbs' mediopassive voice) in ONE call, no follow-up get_inflections. Set false for a cheap screen of which entries exist. Bounded by a per-search cap — use max_forms to adjust per call. For eng queries this governs the expanded Old Norse entries; the per-sense translations list itself is always returned."New value: +"When true (default), each match's full declension/conjugation table is returned INLINE — usable cases/tenses (and the verbs' mediopassive voice) in ONE call, no follow-up norse_get_inflections. Set false for a cheap screen of which entries exist. Bounded by a per-search cap — use max_forms to adjust per call. For eng queries this governs the expanded Old Norse entries; the per-sense translations list itself is always returned."
    • changedInput schema / title
      Previous value: -"search_norseArguments"New value: +"norse_searchArguments"
    • changedOutput schema / $defs / Entry / properties / entry_id / description
      Previous value: -"Page title — feed to get_inflections."New value: +"Page title — feed to norse_get_inflections."
    • changedOutput schema / $defs / Entry / properties / word_class / description
      Previous value: -"POS section — feed to get_inflections."New value: +"POS section — feed to norse_get_inflections."
    • changedOutput schema / $defs / InflectionHandle / description
      Previous value: -"A structured anchor for fetching a full paradigm: feed ``entry_id`` (the page\ntitle) + ``word_class`` (the POS section) to ``get_inflections`` — or ask\n``search`` to include the table inline (``forms``)."New value: +"A structured anchor for fetching a full paradigm: feed ``entry_id`` (the page\ntitle) + ``word_class`` (the POS section) to ``norse_get_inflections`` — or ask\n``search`` to include the table inline (``forms``)."
    • changedOutput schema / $defs / TranslationTerm / description
      Previous value: -"One Old Norse word a translations table offers for an English sense.\n``word`` is the Wiktionary page title (what an ``eng`` search re-searches and\nwhat ``get_inflections`` needs)."New value: +"One Old Norse word a translations table offers for an English sense.\n``word`` is the Wiktionary page title (what an ``eng`` search re-searches and\nwhat ``norse_get_inflections`` needs)."
  2. First observed

TDQS

A4.6/5.0
Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare readOnly/idempotent/openWorld/non-destructive, but the description adds substantial context they cannot: server-side caching, first-time upstream fetches with politeness pacing, rate limiting plus retry advice, and the attestation guarantee that content is real rather than invented. The CC BY-SA 4.0 attribution obligation is a genuine usage constraint worth disclosing.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The purpose and the lemma-resolution behavior are front-loaded, and each sentence carries information (modes, caching, rate limits, licensing). It is dense and slightly long, but nothing is filler or tautological.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

With an output schema present, return values need not be spelled out, yet the description still notes Markdown plus structuredContent. Combined with both search modes, caching, rate-limit handling, and attribution, an agent has everything needed to invoke it correctly.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100% and the parameter descriptions already explain inflected-form resolution, optional diacritics once cached, the max_forms cost tradeoff, and the include_forms behavior. The prose largely restates this (any form works, lemma resolution is noted in the result), so it meets the baseline without adding much that the schema lacks.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description states a precise verb and resource ('Look an Old Norse word up on Wiktionary') and names exactly what comes back ('senses plus full declension/conjugation tables'), including the reverse English-to-Old-Norse mode. It is clearly distinguishable from siblings such as norse_get_inflections, which it explicitly says it makes unnecessary.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

It states when to use each mode (search_language='non' vs 'eng'), when to turn include_forms off ('cheap screen of which entries exist') and why to leave it on ('no follow-up norse_get_inflections'). It also gives explicit recovery guidance for the rate-limit case ('wait a few seconds and retry').

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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