Managing witnesses and textual variants

A critical apparatus repeatedly refers to manuscripts, printed editions, and other textual witnesses. In a short example, sigla can be typed directly:

\reading{Judgment}{B D}

In a larger edition, this becomes fragile. The same witness may occur hundreds of times, its printed siglum may change, and its description may be needed in an introduction, a witness table, or a discussion of textual relationships.

This guide develops a small witness-management interface in ordinary ConTeXt. It separates:

• the stable identifier used in the source;
• the siglum printed in the apparatus;
• the type and description of the witness;
• the readings and textual operations associated with that witness.

The progression is:

Stage	Problem	Result
1	A siglum is repeated as literal text	The witness is declared once
2	The source needs a stable name distinct from the printed siglum	Identifier and siglum are separated
3	Apparatus entries need one or several declared witnesses	Readings use reusable witness references
4	The apparatus must describe more than alternative wording	Named commands represent omissions, additions, and other operations
5	Several witnesses repeatedly appear together	Witness groups store and reuse that relationship

For definitions of the principal terms, see the Glossary of critical edition terms.

1. Understand the witness record

A useful witness declaration should distinguish four elements:

Element	Function	Example
Identifier	Stable key used in the ConTeXt source	ms-b
Siglum	Short form printed in the apparatus	B
Type	General category of witness	manuscript
Description	Full human-readable identification	Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS 567

The identifier and siglum are not the same thing. The source may continue to use ms-b even if the printed siglum later changes from B to Ox.

2. Declare and retrieve one witness

ConTeXt variables provide a compact way to store several fields under one identifier.

\define[4]\definewitness
  {\setvariables
     [witness:#1]
     [siglum={#2},
      type={#3},
      description={#4}]}

Argument	Content
#1	Stable witness identifier
#2	Printed siglum
#3	Witness type
#4	Full description

Declare one witness:

\definewitness
  {ms-b}
  {B}
  {manuscript}
  {Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS 567}

Define three retrieval commands:

\define[1]\witness
  {\getvariable{witness:#1}{siglum}}

\define[1]\witnesstype
  {\getvariable{witness:#1}{type}}

\define[1]\witnessdescription
  {\getvariable{witness:#1}{description}}

• \mainlanguage[en]
  \setuppapersize[A5]
  \setupbodyfont[libertinus,10pt]
  
  \define[4]\definewitness
    {\setvariables
       [witness:#1]
       [siglum={#2},
        type={#3},
        description={#4}]}
  
  \define[1]\witness
    {\getvariable{witness:#1}{siglum}}
  
  \define[1]\witnesstype
    {\getvariable{witness:#1}{type}}
  
  \define[1]\witnessdescription
    {\getvariable{witness:#1}{description}}
  
  \definewitness
    {ms-b}
    {B}
    {manuscript}
    {Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS 567}
  
  \starttext
  
  Siglum: \witness{ms-b}
  
  \blank
  
  Type: \witnesstype{ms-b}
  
  \blank
  
  Description: \witnessdescription{ms-b}
  
  \stoptext
  

• 

At this stage, the declaration stores data only. Typography is controlled separately.

3. Control the appearance of sigla

Define one shared style:

\define[1]\witnessstyle
  {{\it #1}}

Then apply it in the retrieval command:

\define[1]\witness
  {\witnessstyle
     {\getvariable{witness:#1}{siglum}}}

To print every siglum in bold instead, redefine only:

\define[1]\witnessstyle
  {{\bf #1}}

4. Declare a working set of witnesses

\definewitness{ms-a}{A}{manuscript}{Paris manuscript}
\definewitness{ms-b}{B}{manuscript}{Oxford manuscript}
\definewitness{ms-c}{C}{manuscript}{Cambridge manuscript}
\definewitness{ms-d}{D}{manuscript}{London manuscript}
\definewitness{editio-princeps}{E}{printed edition}{Basel, 1520}
\definewitness{revised-edition}{F}{printed edition}{Paris, 1542}

The identifiers are descriptive and stable. The apparatus remains compact because only the sigla are printed.

5. Use declared witnesses in readings

Define:

\define[2]\reading
  {#1 #2}

A single witness:

\reading
  {Judgment}
  {\witness{ms-b}}

Several witnesses:

\reading
  {Judgment}
  {\witness{ms-b}\space
   \witness{ms-d}}

The printed result is:

Judgment B D

The witness interface can now be combined with the apparatus commands from Building a simple critical apparatus:

• \mainlanguage[en]
  \setuppapersize[A5]
  \setupbodyfont[libertinus,10pt]
  
  \definenote[apparatus]
  \setupnote[apparatus][location=page]
  \setupnotation[apparatus][way=bypage,style=\tfx]
  
  \define[4]\definewitness
    {\setvariables
       [witness:#1]
       [siglum={#2},type={#3},description={#4}]}
  
  \define[1]\witnessstyle{{\it #1}}
  \define[1]\witness
    {\witnessstyle{\getvariable{witness:#1}{siglum}}}
  
  \definewitness{ms-b}{B}{manuscript}{Oxford manuscript}
  \definewitness{ms-c}{C}{manuscript}{Cambridge manuscript}
  \definewitness{ms-d}{D}{manuscript}{London manuscript}
  
  \define[2]\variant
    {#1\apparatus{{\it #1}] #2}}
  
  \define[2]\reading
    {#1 #2}
  
  \starttext
  
  \variant
    {Reason}
    {\reading
       {Judgment}
       {\witness{ms-b}\space\witness{ms-d}};
     \reading
       {Understanding}
       {\witness{ms-c}}}
  guides the will.
  
  \stoptext
  

• 

6. Represent common textual operations

A reading supplies textual wording. A textual operation describes what happens to the text.

Command	Function	Example output
\omission	Record absence of the lemma	om. E
\addition	Record additional wording	add. and directs the will F
\transposition	Record different word order	transp. experience and reason D
\conjecture	Record an editorial proposal	Reason conj. Smith
\uncertainreading	Mark uncertain transcription	Judgment? C
\illegible	Record illegible text	illeg. D

\define[1]\omission
  {{\it om.} #1}

\define[2]\addition
  {{\it add.} #1 #2}

\define[2]\transposition
  {{\it transp.} #1 #2}

\define[2]\conjecture
  {#1 {\it conj.} #2}

\define[2]\uncertainreading
  {#1? #2}

\define[1]\illegible
  {{\it illeg.} #1}

7. Process witness lists more compactly

\define[1]\processwitness
  {\witness{#1}\space}

\define[1]\witnesslist
  {\processcommalist[#1]\processwitness}

Then:

\witnesslist{ms-a,ms-b,ms-d}

prints:

A B D

8. Define reusable witness groups

\define[2]\definewitnessgroup
  {\setvalue{witnessgroup:#1}{#2}}

\define[1]\witnessgroup
  {\witnesslist{\getvalue{witnessgroup:#1}}}

Declare:

\definewitnessgroup{family-alpha}{ms-a,ms-b}
\definewitnessgroup{family-beta}{ms-c,ms-d}
\definewitnessgroup{all-editions}{editio-princeps,revised-edition}

Use:

\reading
  {Judgment}
  {\witnessgroup{family-alpha}}

Sometimes an edition prints a collective label instead:

\define[2]\definegrouplabel
  {\setvalue{witnessgroup:label:#1}{#2}}

\define[1]\grouplabel
  {\getvalue{witnessgroup:label:#1}}

\definegrouplabel{family-alpha}{\alpha}

Command	Result
\witnessgroup{family-alpha}	Prints the member sigla
\grouplabel{family-alpha}	Prints the collective family label

9. Add visible safeguards

A guarded group command can be written as:

\define[1]\witnessgroup
  {\doifdefinedelse
     {witnessgroup:#1}
     {\witnesslist
        {\getvalue{witnessgroup:#1}}}
     {{\bf [undefined witness group: #1]}}}

Likewise:

\define[1]\grouplabel
  {\doifdefinedelse
     {witnessgroup:label:#1}
     {\getvalue{witnessgroup:label:#1}}
     {{\bf [undefined group label: #1]}}}

10. Reuse witness metadata outside the apparatus

\starttabulate[|l|l|p|]
\NC Siglum
\NC Type
\NC Description
\NC\NR
\HL

\NC \witness{ms-a}
\NC \witnesstype{ms-a}
\NC \witnessdescription{ms-a}
\NC\NR

\NC \witness{ms-b}
\NC \witnesstype{ms-b}
\NC \witnessdescription{ms-b}
\NC\NR
\stoptabulate

Changing a siglum centrally updates both the apparatus and the descriptive table.

11. Understand the data model

Information	Example	Meaning
Witness declaration	\definewitness{ms-b}{B}{...}{...}	Describes what the witness is
Apparatus evidence	\reading{Judgment}{\witness{ms-b}}	Records what the witness reads at one location
Witness group	\definewitnessgroup{family-alpha}{ms-a,ms-b}	Records a relationship among witnesses

The present macros remain a direct-composition interface. They do not yet provide automatic sorting, duplicate detection, witness-specific reports, filtering by operation, or export to another format.

12. Complete working example

• \mainlanguage[en]
  \setuppapersize[A5]
  \setupbodyfont[libertinus,10pt]
  
  \definenote[apparatus]
  \setupnote[apparatus][location=page]
  \setupnotation[apparatus][way=bypage,style=\tfx]
  
  \define[4]\definewitness
    {\setvariables
       [witness:#1]
       [siglum={#2},type={#3},description={#4}]}
  
  \define[1]\witnessstyle{{\it #1}}
  \define[1]\witness
    {\witnessstyle{\getvariable{witness:#1}{siglum}}}
  
  \definewitness{ms-a}{A}{manuscript}{Paris manuscript}
  \definewitness{ms-b}{B}{manuscript}{Oxford manuscript}
  \definewitness{ms-c}{C}{manuscript}{Cambridge manuscript}
  \definewitness{ms-d}{D}{manuscript}{London manuscript}
  \definewitness{editio-princeps}{E}{printed edition}{Basel, 1520}
  \definewitness{revised-edition}{F}{printed edition}{Paris, 1542}
  
  \define[1]\processwitness{\witness{#1}\space}
  \define[1]\witnesslist{\processcommalist[#1]\processwitness}
  
  \define[2]\definewitnessgroup
    {\setvalue{witnessgroup:#1}{#2}}
  \define[1]\witnessgroup
    {\witnesslist{\getvalue{witnessgroup:#1}}}
  
  \definewitnessgroup{family-alpha}{ms-a,ms-b}
  \definewitnessgroup{family-beta}{ms-c,ms-d}
  \definewitnessgroup{all-editions}{editio-princeps,revised-edition}
  
  \define[2]\variant{#1\apparatus{{\it #1}] #2}}
  \define[2]\reading{#1 #2}
  \define[1]\omission{{\it om.} #1}
  \define[2]\addition{{\it add.} #1 #2}
  \define[2]\transposition{{\it transp.} #1 #2}
  \define[2]\conjecture{#1 {\it conj.} #2}
  \define[1]\illegible{{\it illeg.} #1}
  
  \starttext
  
  \variant
    {Reason}
    {\reading{Judgment}{\witnessgroup{family-alpha}};
     \reading{Understanding}{\witnessgroup{family-beta}};
     \omission{\witnessgroup{all-editions}}}
  guides
  \variant
    {the will}
    {\reading{human desire}{\witness{ms-b}};
     \addition{and directs experience}{\witness{revised-edition}};
     \illegible{\witness{ms-d}}}.
  
  The text later joins
  \variant
    {reason and experience}
    {\transposition
       {experience and reason}
       {\witnesslist{ms-d,editio-princeps}};
     \conjecture
       {reason informed by experience}
       {Smith}}.
  
  \stoptext
  

• 

13. What this guide has established

Mechanism	Result
Witness declaration	Store identifier, siglum, type, and description once
Witness retrieval	Print the current siglum from a stable source identifier
Named textual operations	Distinguish readings, omissions, additions, and other cases
Witness lists	Process several identifiers more compactly
Witness groups	Reuse documented relationships among witnesses
Safeguards	Make undeclared identifiers or groups visible

14. Choose the next guide

Next task	Continue with
Change the typography of the apparatus	Guide 2
Create several independent note layers	Guide 4
Compose an original text and translation in parallel	Guide 5
Register, sort, filter, and validate critical records	Guide 6
Process structured TEI critical data	Building critical editions from TEI XML

Online resources

• Variables — storing and retrieving named fields;
• Command/setvariables — defining variable sets;
• Command/getvariable — retrieving individual fields;
• ConTeXt and Lua programming/Tutorials/System Macros/Key Value Assignments — key–value data;
• Footnotes — note mechanisms used by the apparatus.

Related pages

• Building a critical apparatus with ConTeXt
• Glossary of critical edition terms
• Building a simple critical apparatus
• Formatting a critical apparatus
• Using multiple apparatus layers
• Typesetting an original text and translation in parallel
• Managing structured critical data with Lua
• Building critical editions from TEI XML