Wiki source code of Reading, variant

Last modified by 14zunde on 2024/02/13 07:41
Show last authors
1 ‘Variant’ is originally an adjective, from Old French //variant//, from Latin //variantem//, participle of //variare// "to change".
2
3 A variant in a [[witness>>doc:stemmatology.Witness.WebHome]] (manuscript, edition…) is a [[reading>>doc:stemmatology.Reading.WebHome]] which is different from other readings in other witnesses to the same text on the same [[variant location>>doc:stemmatology.Variant location.WebHome]].
4
5 **Example:** κύριον A D G : θεὸν B C F, where κύριον (in the [[reference text>>doc:stemmatology.Reference text.WebHome]] and in 3 manuscripts) and θεὸν (in 3 other manuscripts) are two variants.
6
7 The purpose of [[collation>>doc:stemmatology.Collation.WebHome]] is to collect (all) variant readings in (all) witnesses. If virtually every word or even every character in a text can be subject to variation, in reality only a (smaller or larger) number of places in a text will: those places are called ‘variant locations’
8
9 The term ‘variant’ is neutral, it does not imply any decision about the direction of the variation. In the [[common errors method>>doc:stemmatology.Common errors method.WebHome]], however, only [[significant>>doc:stemmatology.Error, indicative or significant.WebHome]] [[secondary readings>>doc:stemmatology.Reading, secondary.WebHome]] (also called [[errors>>doc:stemmatology.Error.WebHome]]) can be used for the classification of the witnesses, often resulting into a [[stemma>>doc:stemmatology.Stemma.WebHome]].
10
11 On the basis of that classification, the editor will choose the variants that will find their place in the reconstructed text ([[critical edition>>doc:stemmatology.Edition, critical.WebHome]]), the alternative variants will find their way to the [[critical apparatus>>doc:stemmatology.Apparatus.WebHome]]. However, if all variants must be noted in the collation, not all will necessarily be recorded in the apparatus, depending on what the editor wants to be reflected in it: the critical decisions only (in that case only significant readings will be reported), the geographical / regional variations of the textual tradition (in that case even some orthographic variants may be recorded), etc. See also the distinction between analysis of (significant) variants and [[analysis of forms>>doc:stemmatology.Analysis of forms.WebHome]].
12
13 In many statistical methods, variants are used without inferring anything about the direction of variation ([[polarisation>>doc:stemmatology.Polarisation.WebHome]]). Even if the result of that kind of classification may be displayed as a[[ tree>>doc:stemmatology.Phylogenetic tree.WebHome]], the witnesses grouped on the basis of their similarities form [[groups>>doc:stemmatology.Group (of witnesses).WebHome]] rather than [[families>>doc:stemmatology.Family (of witnesses).WebHome]].
14
15 **References**
16
17 – Colwell, Ernest C., and Ernest W. Tune. 1964. “Variant Readings: Classification and Use.” //Journal of Biblical Literature// 83 (3): 253–261.
18 –// //Irigoin, Jean. 1979. "Sélections et utilisations des variantes." in Jean Irigoin, and Gian Zarri, eds. 1979. //La pratique des ordinateurs dans la critique des textes. Paris 29–31 mars 1978//. Paris: Éditions du CNRS: 265-271.
19 –// //Love, Harold. 1984. “The Ranking of Variants in the Analysis of Moderately Contaminated Manuscript Traditions.” //Studies in Bibliography// 37: 39-57.
20
21 ==== In other languages ====
22
23 GE: alternative Lesart, Variante
24 FR: (leçon) variante
25 IT: lezione alternativa, variante
26 \\[[CM>>doc:stemmatology.Parvum lexicon stemmatologicum.Contributors.WebHome]]