verb
- to mark (a passage in a text) with an obelus or similar symbol to indicate spuriousness or doubtful authenticity
Usage: scholarly; textual criticism
Examples
- The editor chose to obelise the questionable passage rather than remove it entirely.
- Scholars often obelise disputed lines in ancient manuscripts.
- The textual critic decided to obelise the interpolated verse.
- Medieval scribes would sometimes obelise passages they considered corrupt.
- The philologist obelised several lines that appeared to be later additions.