Obelism
/ˈɒbəlɪzəm/noun
The practice of marking a passage in a text as doubtful, spurious, or requiring deletion, traditionally with an obelus.
Did you know?Alexandrian scholars used the obelus—a dagger-like mark—to flag lines they believed were later additions or errors in revered texts.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ὀβελός (obelós)
“A spit or pointed rod used for roasting; also a pointed mark or obelus.”
Hellenistic Greek
Greek
ὀβελίσκος (obelískos)
“A small spit; later, a pointed pillar or obelisk.”
3rd Century BCE
Greek
ὀβελός (obelós)
“A critical sign used by scholars, especially to mark questionable or spurious lines in manuscripts.”
Late Antiquity
Latin
obelus
“A dagger-like editorial mark used to indicate suspect or superfluous text.”
17th Century
English
obelism
“The practice of marking doubtful or spurious passages with an obelus.”
Modern English
English
obelism
“Textual criticism involving the marking of passages as doubtful, corrupt, or subject to removal.”