PH
Before printing standardized texts became common, handwritten copies could contain differences.
A copying error, spelling variation, omitted word, or accidental repetition could alter a passage.
When many copies of a text exist, scholars can compare them to identify differences.
This field of study is known as textual criticism.
Researchers use variations between manuscripts to reconstruct earlier forms of texts and understand how they were transmitted.
The process can involve comparing tiny details across numerous surviving copies.
Literary history can therefore depend on something as small as one missing or changed letter.
© Encyclopaedia Britannica