Stemma (academic)

In academic studies, a "stemma" is a diagram that traces the genealogy of a text, showing how different versions and copies are related through copying and modification over time. It acts like a family tree for manuscripts, helping scholars identify original sources and understand how texts evolved. By analyzing variations among manuscripts, the stemma clarifies the transmission history, revealing which versions are more authentic or derived. This method is essential in fields like textual criticism, especially for ancient or handwritten works, to reconstruct the most accurate original text possible.