stemma
- noun
- /ˈstɛmə/
- Specialized
:
estemma
- The stemma is fascinating.
Examples
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The stemma clarified relationships among several corrupted manuscript copies.
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Building a stemma requires analyzing similarities and differences in the manuscripts.
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Scholars constructed a stemma to trace the history of the medieval texts.
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Look at this stemma!
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The researcher created a stemma to illustrate the connections between different versions of the ancient text.
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Using the stemma, scholars traced the evolution of the manuscript and identified its various sources.
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In her thesis, she included a detailed stemma showing how the stories in the collection evolved over time.
How Detailed
Surface Forms
Etymology
Stemma comes from the old Greek stemma meaning 'wreath' or 'line of descent', and that idea of connected lines turned into a way to show relationships. So, a manuscript stemma is a diagram like a 'family tree' that shows which copies came from which.