UŘLS TEI Cookbook

# Text corrections

Sometimes it is needed to mark changes that are differentiating readings from each other, these differences are usually made of:

  • Abbreviations
  • Scribal interventions: deletions, additions and substitutions
  • Normalisation: <sic> and <corr>, <orig> and <reg>
  • Modifications by the editor: <supplied>, <surplus>
  • Difficult readings and missing parts: <unclear>, <damage>

# Choice

<choice></choice>

The choice element groups a number of alternative encodings for the same point in a text. This element is often used for abbreviations and normalisations.

# Abbreviations


 


<choice>
  <abbr>Arthemandꝰ</abbr>
</choice>

To mark abbreviation in the text the abbr element can be used. It can stand alone or inside the choice element. The choice element must be used if expansion of the abbreviation is provided.

# Expansion



 


<choice>
  <abbr>Arthemandꝰ</abbr>
  <expan>Arthemand<ex>us<ex></expan>
</choice>

Sometimes, it is desirable to expand the abbreviation, that can be achieved by using the expan element. However, the element can not stand alone, and the abbreviation must be defined inside the choice group within the abbr element. The additional element ex contains a sequence of letters added by an editor or transcriber when expanding an abbreviation. Can be omitted.

# Scribal interventions

# Deletions

Ridere <del>aut ridentes</del> viderit: tristitiam significat.

Contains a letter, word, or passage deleted, marked as deleted, or otherwise indicated as superfluous or spurious in the copy text by an author, scribe, or a previous annotator or corrector. The part aut ridentes was crossed out in the original text, thus it is marked as deletion.

# Additions

Ridere <add place="above">aut ridentes</add> viderit: tristitiam significat.

Contains letters, words, or phrases inserted in the source text by an author, scribe, or a previous annotator or corrector. The attribute place must be used to provide additional information of the placement.

Place Description
above The addition is above the word or line.
below The addition is below the word or line.
lmargin The addition is in the left margin.
rmargin The addition is in the right margin.
interlinear The addition is interlinear.

# Substitutions

 




 

<subst>
  Ridere aut ridentes
  <del>aut</del>
  <add>vel</add>
  viderit: tristitiam significat.
</subst>

Groups one or more deletions with one or more additions when the combination is to be regarded as a single intervention in the text.

# Normalisation and regularization

# Correcting mistakes

Sometimes an apparently inaccurate or incorrect text can be found in the manuscript and it is up to us if we would like to correct it. For that purpose there are following elements.

# Marking inacurrate text



 




Annolos vel armillas dare videre vel capere dolorem
<choice>
  <sic>dona</sic>
  <corr>dolorem</corr>
</choice>
significat.

To mark the normalisation inside our file we can simply use the sic element alone. It should contain the reproduced text although apparently incorrect or inaccurate. We can also suggest correction and for that purpose the element corr should be used, see below.

Important

When the correction is suggested, both elements sic and corr must be wrapped inside the choice element as can be seen in examples.

# Suggesting correction




 



Annolos vel armillas dare videre vel capere dolorem
<choice>
  <sic>dona</sic>
  <corr>dolorem</corr>
</choice>
significat.

The element corr contains the correct form of a passage apparently erroneous in the copy text.

# Regularization of the text

In some cases, the regularization might be usefull and for that purpose can be used following elements.

# Marking original reading


 



The <choice>
<orig>tragicall</orig>
<reg>tragical</reg>
</choice>...

Contains a reading which is marked as following the original, rather than being normalized or corrected.

# Regularization



 


The <choice>
<orig>tragicall</orig>
<reg>tragical</reg>
</choice>...

Contains a reading which has been regularized or normalized in some sense.

# Modification by the editor

# Supplied

I <supplied reason="omitted-in-original">was</supplied> lazy when I wrote this text.

Signifies text supplied by the transcriber or editor for any reason; for example because the original cannot be read due to physical damage, or because of an obvious omission by the author or scribe. In the above example the word was was missing.

Reasons Description
omitted-in-original The word was omitted in the original text.
overbinding The text was placed in overbiding.
faded-ink The word was missing due to the faded ink.
lost-folio The text was missing due to the lost folio, but was found somewhere else.

TIP

Note that whitespaces are separators, that is why are the phrases describing the reason hyphenated.

# Redudant text

Cum cane ludere <surplus>bonum</surplus> bonum tempus significat.

The element surplus marks text present in the source which the editor believes to be superfluous or redundant.

# Difficult readings

# Damaged text is illegible, no text is supplied

<lb break="no"/>mini et replete terram, et subic<gap reason="cut-out" extent="9 words"/>
<lb break="no"/>bus maris, et uolatilibus celi <gap reason="cut-out" extent="4 words"/>

The element gap indicates a point where material has been omitted in a transcription, whether for editorial reasons described in the TEI header, as part of sampling practice, or because the material is illegible, invisible, or inaudible. As can be seen there are two attributes reason and extent. The reason attribute contains reason why there is gap, see table of sample reasons. The exten attribute describes the expected length of the missing part.

Reason Description
cut-out the part of the text was cut out
irrelevant the part of the text was irrelevant
cancelled the rest of the text has not been completed
fire the part of the text was damaged by fire
faded the text is faded

# Damaged text is illegible, but text is supplied

# Marking damaged part

 

 

I <damage reason="fire" extent="1 word">
  <supplied reason="burnt-hole-in-original">was</supplied>
</damage> lazy when I wrote this text.

Contains an area of damage to the text witness. Similarly as in case of gap element there are attributes reason and extent, see gap.

# Supplying editor's text


 


I <damage reason="fire" extent="1 word">
  <supplied reason="burnt-hole-in-original">was</supplied>
</damage> lazy when I wrote this text.

Signifies text supplied by the transcriber or editor for any reason; for example: because the original cannot be read due to physical damage, or because of an obvious omission by the author or scribe. Similarly, as the forementioned elements the supplied element has attribute reason. In this case short description of the reason should be provided.

TIP

Note that whitespaces are separators, that is why the phrases describing the reason are hyphenated.

# Damaged text is partially legible

When the text is partially legible, following scheme should be used:

  • Use damage or del elements to mark up the damaged or deleted parts - see damage, deletion
  • use gap to mark up the illegible part(s), or supplied if you wish to supply text - see gap
  • use unclear to mark up the parts of the text which cannot be transcribed with perfect confidence.

# Marking the unclear text



 


… peruenit. <del>
<gap reason=”deletion” extent=”4 or 5 words”/>
<unclear reason="blackened-out" cert=”middle”>sunt</unclear>
</del> Tertio …

Contains a word, phrase, or passage which cannot be transcribed with certainty because it is illegible or inaudible in the source. The attribute reason should provide short indication of why the material is not readable, see the reasons table. The cert signifies the degree of certainty associated with the intervention or interpretation.

Certainity Degree of certainity
high 70-100%
middle 40-70%
low 10-40%
uncertain 0-10%

# Damaged text is perfectly legible

There is no need to mark it up. Use del or damage.

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