Excerptus

Excerptus is a Latin term that translates to "taken out" or "selected." In academic and literary contexts, it commonly refers to an excerpt or a selection from a larger work. These excerpts are often used for illustrative purposes, to highlight a particular passage, or to provide a sample of an author's style or a document's content.

The practice of creating excerptus dates back to antiquity, where scholars would copy and compile significant passages from various texts for study and preservation. In modern scholarship, excerptus can be found in anthologies, critical editions of texts, textbooks, and academic articles. They serve as a way to engage with primary sources without requiring the reader to consult the entirety of the original work, making complex or extensive material more accessible.

When an excerpt is presented, it is usually accompanied by a citation or reference to its original source. This ensures proper attribution and allows interested readers to locate the full text if they wish. The selection of an excerpt is often a deliberate act, aimed at conveying a specific idea, argument, or aesthetic quality that is representative of the whole. The term itself emphasizes the act of selection and extraction from a larger body of material.