commentum

Commentum is a Latin noun used in classical and ecclesiastical Latin to denote a remark, observation, or point made in discourse. It is neuter and belongs to the second declension; its plural is commenta. In Latin prose, commentum can refer to a statement offered as evidence, a piece of information, or a gloss in a manuscript that accompanies a text with clarification or a note.

In textual criticism and manuscript culture, editors frequently distinguish between the original text and the commenta or marginalia, which convey interpretive remarks or explanations added by scribes or later readers. In later Latin usage, especially during the medieval and early modern periods, the term appears in scholarly works to indicate a finding, opinion, or inference drawn from a source. It is also encountered in legal and rhetorical contexts to denote a point or claim made in argumentation.

In English-language scholarship, commentum is used rarely and largely within discussions of Latin philology, manuscript studies, or historical legal texts. When used in modern English, it often functions as a Latin loanword for a brief remark or observation, rather than a fully fledged "commentary" or "annotation." Closely related terms include commentarius (commentary), glossa (gloss), and marginalia (marginal notes).

See also: commentary, gloss, marginalia, Latin philology.