Kritická edícia ako primárna interpretácia textov staršej literatúry
Critical Edition as the Primary Interpretation of Early Modern Literary Texts

Summary/Abstract: This brief essay, being a contribution to the discussion about interpretative languages, proposes some observations based on the author’s experience as an editor of Neo-Latin texts. Critical edition is here projected as the primary interpretation not only because an editor is often the first person to have thoroughly read the whole text to be edited but also and foremost because every edition should be conceived as a starting point for further interpretations. As far as Neo-Latin texts are concerned, interpretations of textual passages accomplished without a comprehensive understanding of a certain text as a whole may be sometimes misleading due to insufficient linguistic competence. It is argued in this contribution that a historical text should be made available to professional audience in its most authentic form possible, i.e. without introducing unnecessary modern orthographical changes into it. Rather than converting a Latin text into a more readable form by adapting it to modern orthographical standards, the effort of editors should focus on commentary, translation as well as on reconstructing the coming into being of the text so that it can be understood in its authentic relations to other relevant texts of a particular historical period. In doing so, editors should always use a language that is transparent and easy to understand for all relevant disciplines. The primary goal of an edition is to preserve and convey as much original information as possible as well as to facilitate the reception of the edited text among a variety of different specialists.

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