Emendatione

Emendatione is the ablative (and occasionally dative) form of the Latin noun emendatio, meaning a correction or improvement. The root verb emendare, from which it derives, signifies making something right or repairing a fault. In scholarly Latin, emendatione denotes the act or result of correcting a text, often with reference to the method by which a correction is achieved.

In the context of textual criticism, emendatione describes the proposal to alter a corrupted or ambiguous passag e in order to recover a reading more faithful to an author’s original wording. Editors compare manuscript witnesses, assess linguistic plausibility, and consider external sources before presenting an emendation. When a conjectural emendation is offered, it is typically labeled as such and accompanied by justification, notes, and a discussion of alternatives.

Practically, emendations are communicated in critical editions through apparatus criticus and textual notes. An emendation may be shown in the main text with brackets or special formatting, while the justification appears in the apparatus. The aim is to restore sense and accuracy without overstepping the evidence, a balance that has shaped editorial practice since antiquity and remains central in modern philology.

Historically, emendatione has played a key role in the transmission of classical Latin and other ancient texts. It reflects a scholarly preference for recovering authors’ intended meanings while transparently marking changes introduced by editors. The term remains a standard descriptor in discussions of manuscript correction and edition critique.