Emended

Emended is the past tense and past participle of emend, meaning corrected or improved. In scholarly usage, emended describes text or descriptions that have been revised from an earlier form, typically to correct errors or to clarify sense. The term derives from the Latin emendere "to correct, repair" and is widely used in textual criticism and taxonomy.

In textual criticism, an emended reading is a proposed correction to the wording of a manuscript or early printed edition. Editors justify emendations by comparing related manuscripts, versions, or translations, or by considering plausibility in restoring an original sense. Emendations are usually documented in apparatus criticus or notes; they can be conjectural and are subject to debate; the editors may distinguish between truly necessary corrections and fanciful restorations.

In taxonomy and botany, emend. is used to indicate that the description or diagnosis of a taxon has been amended. An emended description may adjust the circumscription, characteristics, or name combination; such changes are formal acts documented in the taxonomic literature and may require citation of the original author and the editor who emended the description.

The term therefore covers both textual and scientific revisions, but it implies a reasoned change rather than a simple typo fix. Emendations are judged on evidence, plausibility, and consistency with the source material, and they form part of scholarly editions and revisions.