Herausstreichens

Herausstreichens is a term that appears in discussions of manuscript handling and textual criticism, referring to the act of removing material from the main text. In this sense, it denotes an excision where the deleted passages are intentionally taken out of the running text, rather than merely marked or corrected within it. The concept is often contrasted with mere marginal notes or with cross-outs that remain visible in the text, since Herausstreichens implies a decision to exclude the material from the primary narration or argument.

Etymologically, the word is formed from heraus-, meaning outward or out of, and streichen, meaning to strike or wipe away. The resulting noun form or nominalized infinitive can appear in older or technical German as Herausstreichens, though more common variants in editing practice are Herausstreichung or Streichung. The term is relatively rare in standard contemporary usage, with many editors preferring more explicit terms such as Streichungen or Auslassen when describing the deletion of passages.

In practical use, Herausstreichens is associated with edition criticism and manuscript studies, where editors distinguish between deletions that are retained for the apparatus (as notes about what has been removed) and deletions that are carried into the final text. It is often implemented alongside other editorial actions like insertions, substitutions, and relocations. In modern editorial practice, explicit labeling of deletions as apparatus entries is common, while the main text typically reflects a cleaned and standardized version.

See also: Streichung, Durchstreichen, Streichungen im Text, Textkritik, Apparatus criticus.