tekstkritische

Tekstkritiske is a term used in philology and literary studies to describe approaches and practices focused on establishing the most probable original wording of a text by comparing multiple manuscript witnesses and editions. The concept is often rendered in English as text-critical or textual-critical work and is closely associated with producing a critical edition that makes the textual history explicit.

The core activity of tekstkritiske work is the collation of manuscripts, early printed editions, and other witnesses. Editors build stemmata codicum (philological family trees) to model relationships among sources, identify scribal errors or deliberate alterations, and evaluate how language and transmission might have affected readings. Based on this analysis, editors decide which readings to adopt or emend, and they document the choices in a critical apparatus and accompanying commentary.

Applications span ancient, medieval, and early modern texts, including biblical manuscripts, classical literature, and national canons. Critical editions produced through tekstkritiske methods aim to provide a text that reflects scholarly consensus on the original wording while transparently presenting variants and the evidence behind editorial decisions. Limitations arise from gaps in manuscript evidence, damage or loss of sources, and the inherently interpretative judgments required to weigh competing readings. Ongoing discoveries or re-evaluations of manuscripts can lead to revisions of established editions.

See also: textual criticism, critical edition, apparatus criticus, stemma codicum.