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urtext

[ ur-tekst, oor- ]
/ ˈɜrˌtɛkst, ˈʊər- /
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noun (sometimes initial capital letter)
the original form of a text, especially of a musical composition.
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Origin of urtext

First recorded in 1950–55; ur-3 + text
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for urtext

Urtext
/ German (ˈuːrtɛkst) /

noun
the earliest form of a text as established by linguistic scholars as a basis for variants in later texts still in existence
an edition of a musical score showing the composer's intentions without later editorial interpolation

Word Origin for Urtext

from ur- original + text
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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