Notanda

Notanda is a Latin term meaning "things to be noted" and is used as a plural noun to refer to notes, remarks, or marginalia accompanying a text. The form derives from the neuter gerundive notandum, with notanda functioning as the plural of that concept. In manuscript and early printed editions, notanda often appeared as marginal glosses or annotations added by editors or readers to aid interpretation or textual criticism.

In practice, notanda can include textual variants, brief glosses clarifying obscure terms, cross-references to related passages, or editorial commentary on methodology. The term is primarily historical and scholarly; in modern publishing, editors typically label such material as notes or the editorial apparatus rather than notanda, though the Latin term may appear in prefaces, catalog descriptions, or discussions of a critical edition.

Notanda can be distinguished from nota or notae, which more generally denote ordinary notes, and from notandum, which refers to a single item "to be noted." The concept aligns with marginalia and with the apparatus criticus, the critical apparatus that documents editorial decisions, variants, and sources necessary for interpreting a text.

See also: marginalia, apparatus critica, gloss, annotations.