english word · 2026-07-05
Marginalia
noun
Meaning
Notes, sketches, or marks written in the margins of a text. It refers to the personal commentary and traces left behind by a reader.
Etymology
From the Modern Latin 'marginalis', pertaining to a margin, first used in the mid-19th century.
Examples
"The historian spent hours deciphering the cryptic marginalia in the poet's original copy of the manuscript."
"There is a quiet intimacy in reading a second-hand book filled with the previous owner's thoughtful marginalia."
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