Literary notes about Collation (AI summary)
The word “collation” carries a dual significance in literature. In scholarly and historical works, it denotes the careful process of comparing texts and manuscripts to track variants and restore lost readings [1], [2], [3], [4]. This precise method of assembling different textual witnesses is fundamental to textual criticism and preservation. At the same time, “collation” is used to describe a light meal or refreshment served at gatherings, evoking a sense of conviviality and informal dining [5], [6], [7]. This culinary sense enriches the narrative of social scenes, providing a backdrop of warmth and hospitality. Thus, whether referring to the meticulous assembly of written works or to a modest repast enjoyed in good company, the term “collation” reveals its versatility across literary genres.
- [4] In 1870, however, Brinsley Nicholson, by a careful collation, [5] arrived at the following results.
— from The Devil is an Ass by Ben Jonson - He based his text on a collation of all the preceding editions.
— from The Translations of Beowulf: A Critical Bibliography by Chauncey Brewster Tinker - The translation that follows is not a translation of any one Chronicle; rather, it is a collation of readings from many different versions.
— from The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle - Perhaps, in an investigation such as we describe, the most important ingredient is care in collation and comparison.
— from Ancient Pagan and Modern Christian Symbolism by Thomas Inman and M.R.C.S.E. John Newton - “They had ordered a cheese omelette at two o'clock as a slight collation.
— from Complete Original Short Stories of Guy De Maupassant by Guy de Maupassant - that there was but one thing to do—that is head for the dining-room and take a slash at the cold collation of which Jeeves had spoken.
— from Right Ho, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse - A cold collation has been set out in the dining-room."
— from Right Ho, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse
