Stichometry
/ˌstɪkəˈmɛtri/noun
The measurement or counting of lines in a text.
Did you know?Stichometry was used in antiquity to verify the length and completeness of manuscripts, making it a quiet but powerful tool for preserving sacred and scholarly texts.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
στοιχός (stoichos)
“a row, line, or rank”
Ancient Greek
Greek
μέτρον (metron)
“measure”
Late Greek
Greek
στοιχομετρία (stoichometria)
“measuring by lines”
Medieval Latin
Latin
stichometria
“line-counting in manuscripts”
16th Century
English
stichometry
“the measuring or counting of lines in writing”
Modern English
English
stichometry
“the measurement or counting of lines in a text”