| a(nte) c(orrectionem) | before correction (by a scribe or reader) |
| add(idit) | added |
| addub(itavit) | wondered about (a conjecture) |
| agn(ovit) | recognised, realised |
| al(ii/ias/ibi/iter) | others / elsewhere / elsewhere / otherwise |
| alii alia (coniecerunt) | (too many) others (to name) have made other (unstated) conjectures |
| alt(er) | second (latter of two) |
| an | or perhaps (used to introduce an editor’s tentative suggestion) |
| ap(ud) | in (of one author being cited by another) |
| cens(uit) | adjudged |
| cet(eri) | others (usually of the remaining mss) |
| cf. (=confer) | compare |
| cod(ices) | manuscripts |
| coll(ato etc.) | comparing (a passage) |
| comm(entarius etc.) | commentary |
| coni(ecit)/conj./cj. | conjectured |
| cont(inuavit) | continued (esp. the attribution of dialogue) |
| corr(ectio/exit) | correction / corrected |
| damn(avit) | deleted as spurious |
| deest/desunt | is/are missing (from one or more mss) |
| def(endit) | defended (the transmitted text from emendation / deletion) |
| del(evit) | deleted (as spurious) |
| det(eriores) | worse manuscripts |
| dist(inxit) | punctuated / separated by punctuation |
| dub(itanter) | doubtfully (of non-committal conjectures) |
| ed(itiones/itores) | editions / editors; edd. vett. = editores veteres; edd. pr. = editores priores |
| emend(avit) | emended |
| exc(idit) | fell out (from the manuscript(s)) |
| exp(unxit) | expunged / deleted |
| expl(evit) | filled (a lacuna) |
| fin(is) | end |
| fors(itan) / fort(e/asse) | perhaps |
| fr(agmentum) | fragment |
| gl(oss(em)a) | gloss |
| γρ(άφεται) | it is written (used of glosses) |
| h(ic) l(ocus) | this passage / place (in the text) |
| h(aec/ic) v(ox/ersus) | this word/line |
| i(n) m(argine) | in the margin |
| i(n) r(asura) | in an erasure |
| i(n) t(extu) | in the text (as opposed to the margin) |
| ibid(em) | in the same place |
| id(em) | the same (person) |
| incip(it) | ‘it begins’: the opening header of a work / ms |
| incl(usit) | enclosed (usually within brackets) |
| indic(avit) | marked |
| inf(ra) | below |
| init(ium) | beginning |
| ins(eruit) | inserted |
| lac(una) | a gap in text (caused in the manuscript transmission) |
| lect(io) | a reading (i.e. something found in a manuscript) |
| l(inea/ae) pl. ll. | line(s) (of text) |
| loc(us) | place/passage (of text) |
| l(oco) c(itato) | in the passage cited |
| malim | I (the editor) would prefer (this tentative suggestion I don’t print) |
| m(anus) | hand (of scribe or reader) |
| m(anus) r(ecentior) | a more recent hand (of scribe or reader) |
| ms(s) | (codex) manu scriptus = manuscript(s) |
| mut(avit) | changed |
| om(isit) | omitted |
| op(ere) cit(ato) | in the work cited |
| p(agina) pl. pp. | page(s) (of printed books) |
| Π / P | papyrus fragment (much more common in Greek texts) |
| p(ost) c(orrectionem) | after correction (by a scribe or reader) |
| pap(irus) | papyrus fragment |
| pler(ique) | most (manuscripts / editors / scholars) |
| pos(uit) | placed (in the text) |
| possis (e.g.) | you could (read) (for example) |
| pr(imus etc.) | first |
| praef(atio) | preface |
| prob(ante/avit) | approving/ed (a conjecture) |
| q(uod) s(equitur) | (and the text) which follows |
| ras(ura) | erasure |
| rec(entior/es) | more recent (esp. of manuscripts) |
| rel(iqui) | the remaining (manuscripts) |
| s(aeculum) | century |
| Σ | scholion (much commoner in Greek texts) |
| s(upra) l(ineam) | written above the (usual) line |
| s(upra)s(criptum) /sscr. | written above a word/line |
| s(ub) v(oce) | under the word entry (in a dictionary vel sim.) |
| s(i) v(era) l(ectio) | if (this) is the true reading |
| saep(e) | often |
| sc(ilicet) | namely |
| schol(ium/ion) | scholion |
| scr(ipsi/t) | wrote (often of an emendation) |
| secl(usit) | bracketed off (usually as text out of place) |
| sim(ilia) | similar (things) |
| spat(ium) | space / gap (in manuscript) |
| stat(uit) | marked (especially of lacunae) |
| sup(ra) | above |
| suppl(evit) | supplied (to fill a lacuna) |
| susp(icatus/a est) | suspected |
| tempt(avit) | tried / attempted (often of a conjecture) |
| test(e/ibus) | on the testimony of (an author / scholar) |
| tit(ulus) | title |
| tr(ansposuit) | transposed (i.e. moved some text to a diferent place) |
| trib(uit) | attributed (to another speaker / author) |
| ult(imus etc.) | last |
| unc(is) incl(usit) | enclosed in brackets (as spurious or out of place) |
| ut vid(etur) | as it seems (expressing uncertainty) |
| vulg(o) | commonly, i.e. the lectio vulgata / textus receptus of an edition |
| v(ide) or vid(e) | see |
| v(ersus) pl. vv. | verses (of poetry) |
| v(aria) l(ectio) | variant reading |
| vac(uus) | empty (of space left in manuscript) |
