deleat

Deleat is an archaic English term historically used in proofreading and editing to indicate that a portion of text should be deleted. Today the form is obsolete; modern editors typically use delete or standard deletion marks rather than spelling out deleat.

Origin and usage: The spelling appears in early modern manuscripts and printed editions as a direct instruction to remove material. It derives from the Latin delēre “to erase,” passing into English through the verb delete. In manuscripts, deleat could be written in the margin or inline to signal removal, sometimes alongside other marks such as a deletion slash or the abbreviation dele.

Legacy and modern relevance: As a historical editing term, deleat is of interest to scholars studying the history of proofreading and the evolution of editorial marks. Contemporary editions rarely, if ever, employ it outside quotations or discussions of older practice. In modern publishing and digital editing, deletion is communicated through the word delete or via standardized marks and keyboard actions.