Quellzeilen

Quellzeilen is a term used in German textual scholarship to denote the lines of the original source text that are cited or used as evidence within a document. The concept applies to manuscripts, printed editions, and digital texts, and serves to provide precise locational references for quotations or readings.

Etymology and scope: The word combines Quell (source) and Zeilen (lines). In practice, Quellzeilen are indicated in apparatus notes or parenthetical references by specifying line numbers, manuscript identifiers, or other locators that allow readers to locate the exact material being referenced. The concept is most common in critical editions, scholarly editions of literary works, and digitally encoded corpora.

Applications: In textual criticism, Quellzeilen help document the basis for readings and the provenance of textual variants. They enhance reproducibility by enabling others to verify which portion of the source text supported a given interpretation. In digital editions, Quellzeilen may be encoded using structured formats such as TEI to link edition lines directly to the corresponding original passages and to support provenance tracking and advanced search capabilities. In journalism and historiography, a similar practice is used to attribute quotes to precise lines or passages from primary sources.

Limitations and challenges: Quellzeilen depend on the edition’s lineation, which can vary across different editions or formats. Cross-edition comparisons may require standardizing locators to maintain consistency in references.

See also: Quellenangabe, Zitat, Quelltext, Apparat, TEI.