Editing Textual criticism (section)

=== Internal evidence ===
Internal evidence is evidence that comes from the text itself, independent of the physical characteristics of the document. Various considerations can be used to decide which reading is the most likely to be original. Sometimes these considerations can be in conflict.<ref name=textandinterpretation />

Two common considerations have the Latin names ''[[lectio brevior]]'' (shorter reading) and ''lectio difficilior'' (more difficult reading). The first is the general observation that scribes tended to add words, for clarification or out of habit, more often than they removed them. The second, ''[[lectio difficilior potior]]'' (the harder reading is stronger), recognizes the tendency for harmonization—resolving apparent inconsistencies in the text. Applying this principle leads to taking the more difficult (unharmonized) reading as being more likely to be the original. Such cases also include scribes simplifying and smoothing texts they did not fully understand.<ref>Aland K., Aland, B. 1987, p. 276</ref>

Another scribal tendency is called [[homoioteleuton]], meaning "similar endings". Homoioteleuton occurs when two words/phrases/lines end with the similar sequence of letters. The scribe, having finished copying the first, skips to the second, omitting all intervening words. ''Homoioarche'' refers to eye-skip when the ''beginnings'' of two lines are similar.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ualberta.ca/~sreimer/ms-course/course/scbl-err.htm|title=Manuscript Studies: Textual analysis (Scribal error)|website=www.ualberta.ca|access-date=2 May 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160404214516/http://www.ualberta.ca/~sreimer/ms-course/course/scbl-err.htm|archive-date=4 April 2016}}</ref>

The critic may also examine the other writings of the author to decide what words and grammatical constructions match his style. The evaluation of internal evidence also provides the critic with information that helps him evaluate the reliability of individual manuscripts. Thus, the consideration of internal and external evidence is related.{{Citation needed|date=August 2009}}

After considering all relevant factors, the textual critic seeks the reading that best explains how the other readings would arise. That reading is then the most likely candidate to have been original.{{Citation needed|date=August 2009}}