Reference dictionaries play an important role in the typification work that is central to VerbaAlpina. All data obtained from the sources – single records as well as phonetic and morpho-lexical types – is held against a lexicographic reference frame to ensure better comparability of the materials. The typification work is done by VerbaAlpina's staff and is based on their linguistic expertise. It is thus within the realm of interpretation and does not claim indisputable validity. The data taken from the sources is linked to the lemmas of the reference dictionaries listed below. Within a language family, language data requiring typification is connected to the respective matching lemmas of the reference dictionaries specific to the language area. Conversely, it is possible to find all the associated VerbaAlpina data from the lemmas of the reference dictionaries. In this respect, VerbaAlpina represents an organic extension of the reference dictionaries used. This can technically be implemented without major problems on the part of online reference dictionaries.
If in a particular case none of the defined reference dictionaries offers a suitable lemma, VerbaAlpina defines a morpho-lexical type in orthographic notation, which henceforth has reference status and to which all further language data of this morpho-lexical category is referred. As a result of this self-referencing, VerbaAlpina itself also acquires the status of a reference dictionary.
Since the above-described assignment to the reference dictionaries is interpretation-based, VerbaAlpina certainly enables controversial commentary on individual lemma assignments by scholars and laypersons, allowing external people to suggest alternative typifications, which in turn can be commented on and discussed.

Words from the Germanic language area are, where possible, linked to lemmas from:

Schweizerisches Idiotikon. Swiss German dictionary
Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm (1854–1961): Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vol. in 32 subvolumes, Leipzig (bibliography Leipzig 1971) (DWB)
[[Duden|http://www.duden.de/]

Words from the Romanic language area are, where possible, linked to lemmas from:

Vocabolario Treccani
Dizionario italiano De Mauro
Trésor de la langue française informatisé, (TLFi)
Glossaire des patois valdôtains
Banca lessicala ladina, (BLad; Ladin, lld.)
Pledari grond (Romansh, roh.) and DRG
Glossaire des Patois de la Suisse Romande, GPSR
Grant Dizionari Bilengâl Talian Furlan, GDBtf (Friulian, fur.)
TLIO – Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini, TLIO
LSI and RID

Words from the Slavic language area are, where possible, linked to lemmas from:

Slovar slovenskega knjižnega jezika, (SSKJ)

If necessary (especially regarding etyma), this serves as a reference dictionary for the Latin language:

Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1916, Reprint 1998): Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch. Aus den Quellen zusammengetragen und mit besonderer Bezugnahme auf Synonymik und Antiquitäten unter Berücksichtigung der besten Hilfsmittel ausgearbeitet, 2 volumes, Darmstadt.

References for the determination of etymologies of base types, specifically:

Wartburg, Walther von (1922¬–1967): Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch. Eine Darstellung des galloromanischen Sprachschatzes, 25 volumes, Basel (FEW), with his concluding remarks to the articles, which are often fundamental beyond French and even Romansh.
Kluge
DELI
Bezlaj as well as the newest edition Snoj. For Slavic etymologies in general see: Berneker
Where possible, the lemmas of the AWB serve as reference forms for Germanic base types since they represent the oldest documented forms.