Format for commentaries

It is assumed the commentaries are utf-8 text files consisting of a main body of text, followed by a list of numbered and ordered footnotes describing:

  1. Omissions
  2. Additions
  3. Correxi
  4. Conieci
  5. Other textual variations from two source documents.

The main body of text should have a block of text containing an optional introduction and the document title followed by a series of numbered aphorisms and commentaries. If an introduction is included it should be separated from the title by a line containing the two plus symbols, i.e. ++, the title can be more than one line of text.

The aphorisms and commentaries should have the following format.

  1. A single line contains the aphorism number followed by a period . character, e.g. 1. for aphorism 1.
  1. The next line contains the aphorism text
  2. The next line (or lines) contain one or more commentaries associated with that aphorism, with each commentary on a single line
  3. This is repeated for any additional aphorisms

This main text (title, aphorisms and commentaries) contains symbols referring to witnesses (WW) and footnotes.

  1. Witness symbols have the form [WW LL] where WW is a code to identify the document and LL is a location in the document. Witness codes should be listed in the <listWit> element in the XML template file described below.
  2. Footnote symbols have one of two forms depending on whether they refer to single word or multiple word variations. If tttt represent a word of text without a variant, vvvv represent a word of text with a variant, and n is the footnote number then single word variants use form (a) and multiple word variations use form (b) where the # marks the end of the variation.
    1. ttt tttt *n*vvvv tttt tttt
    2. ttt tttt *n*vvvv vvvv vvvv# tttt tttt

After the main body of text is a list of numbered and ordered footnotes, each footnote has a corresponding reference in the main text. A footnote is a single line with the following format.

  1. At the start is the footnote number enclosed within a pair of asterisks, e.g. for footnote 1 the line starts with *1*
  2. Following the footnote number is a mix of witness text (i.e. title, aphorism or commentary) and symbols defining omissions, additions, correxi, conieci and other variations
  3. The footnote line ends with a period . character

The formats for the five footnote types are now described where n is the footnote number, W1 and W2 are witness codes, and ssss, tttt and uuuu represent segments of witness text (segments can be one or more words in length).

Omissions

Omissions can have the following forms, i.e.

  1. *n*ssss ] W1: om. W2.

    This means the segment of text ssss is found in witness W1 but not W2.

  2. *n*ssss ] correxi: tttt W1: om. W2.

    This means the segment of text ssss is found in witness W1 but not W2 however the editor has corrected ssss to tttt.

  3. *n*ssss ] conieci: tttt W1: om. W2.

    This means the segment of text ssss is found in witness W1 but not W2 however the editor has conjonctured that it should be ssss instead of tttt.

  4. *n*ssss ] correxi: om. W1. or *n*ssss ] correxi: om. W1, W2.

    This means add the text ssss which is missing in witness W1 or missing in witness W1 and w2.

  5. *n*ssss ] conieci: om. W1. or *n*ssss ] correxi: om. W1, W2.

    This means add a conjonctured text ssss which is missing in witness W1 or missing in witness W1 and w2.

  6. More generally an omission can have the form:

    *n*ssss ] conieci: tttt W1, W2, W3: om. W4, W5, W6. or *n*ssss ] correxi: tttt W1, W2, W3: om. W4, W5, W6. or *n*ssss ] W1, W2, W3: om. W4, W5, W6.

Additions

Additions have three forms depending on whether the addition applies to one or both witnesses, and for the latter case whether the addition is the same or not for both witnesses.

  1. Form 1: *n*ssss ] add. tttt W1.
This means both witnesses have ssss and W1 adds tttt.
  1. Form 2: *n*ssss ] add. tttt W1, W2.
This means both witnesses have ssss and both add tttt, however the editor felt the need to omit tttt.
  1. Form 3: *n*ssss ] add. tttt W1: uuuu W2.
This means both witnesses have ssss, W1 adds tttt whereas W2 adds uuuu.

Correxi

Correxi can have two forms, depending on whether witness texts are the same or not.

  1. Form 1: *n*ssss ] correxi: tttt W1, W2.
This means the text tttt is found in witnesses W1 and W2 and the editor has corrected this to ssss.
  1. Form 2: *n*ssss ] correxi: tttt W1: uuuu W2.
This means the text tttt is found in witness W1, whereas W2 has uuuu. The editor has corrected these to ssss.

Conieci

Conieci can have two forms, depending on whether the witness texts are the same or not.

  1. Form 1: *n*ssss ] conieci: tttt W1, W2.
This means the text ‘tttt’ is found in witnesses W1 and W2, the editor conjectures that this should be ssss.
  1. Form 2: *n*ssss ] conieci: tttt W1: uuuu W2.
This means the text tttt is found in witness W1, whereas W2 has uuuu. The editor conjectures that these should be ssss.

Textual variations

Standard variations have only two forms:

  1. *n*ssss ] W1: tttt W2.

    This means witness W1 has text ssss whereas W2 has tttt.

  2. *n*ssss ] W1, W2, W3: tttt W4, W5, W6.

    This means witnesses W1, W2 and W3 have text ssss whereas W4, W5, W6 have tttt.