originaltexten

originaltexten is a term used in some branches of textual studies and digital archiving to denote the set of materials that preserve the author’s or source's exact wording as found in the original document, before later alterations such as translation, abridgment, or editorial modernization. The concept emphasizes provenance and fidelity, distinguishing originaltexten from derivative forms such as translations, paraphrased summaries, or annotated editions.

The word combines "original text" with a plural-like suffix, reflecting its use to refer collectively to multiple original passages or documents. Its adoption is most common in Germanic-language scholarly writing and in multilingual digital catalogs.

In practice, originaltexten may appear in catalog entries, metadata schemas, or archival inventories to flag primary source material. Researchers use it to locate source text for critical editions, textual criticism, or reproducibility studies. It supports reproducibility through links to scans, facsimiles, or transcription standards that aim to be faithful to the source.

Because the definition of "original" can be contested across editions and translations, practitioners should document the criteria used to designate items as originaltexten, and include notes about transcription conventions, dating, and provenance.

See also: textual criticism, primary source, archival science, metadata, transcription standards.