Annotation

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌænəˈteɪʃən/

Definitions

1. A note or comment added to a text or image to provide explanation, criticism, or additional information
2. A supplementary remark or comment added to a text or illustration for clarification, evaluation, or further insight
3. An explanatory note or commentary attached to a document or image to enhance understanding, critique, or offer extra detail

Etymology: The word "annotation" carries a Latin pedigree that is easy to trace: it comes from Latin "annotātiō," meaning a remark or note, which grew from the verb "annotō," to note down or remark on. The Latin verb was built from "ad-" (toward) and "notō," to mark or note, itself from "nota," a mark or sign. So at its core, an annotation is a mark added alongside another mark, a small sign placed next to the main text. The English word is formed by adding the suffix "-ion" to "annotate," so the chain runs from the Latin noun through the verb to the modern form. Readers who meet "annotation" in a footnote or a marked-up manuscript are therefore handling a word whose whole meaning rests on the idea of marking something beside the original.

Synonyms: comment, note, explanation, remark, gloss