Leiden double square brackets

Brackets around text deleted in antiquity.

Also known as: Deletion marks Leiden, Cancelled text brackets

CulturalHistorical & archaeologicalStandard profile

Meanings

The Leiden Convention marking text that was deliberately erased or cancelled in the original.

Historically documentedVerified fact
Marks text deliberately erased or cancelled in the original object.
Contexts: Language and transcription, History
Historically documentedVerified fact
Records an ancient act of deletion, so the notation preserves in print something the original's own maker tried to remove.
Contexts: Language and transcription, History

A pair of doubled square brackets enclosing letters or words in a printed edition.

IdentityModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the identity is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far.
Historical originLow confidence: Low confidence because the historical origin is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far, but the regional or cultural match to this specific claim is not precise.
Current useModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the current use is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far.
Visual matchModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the visual match is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far.

The Leiden Conventions for epigraphic and papyrological editions
International Congress of Orientalists (Leiden, 1931) and subsequent revisions · retrieved 2026-08-21
The agreed system of editorial brackets for inscriptions and papyri, in force since 1931 and revised in practice since. Widely followed across classical epigraphy and papyrology and not universally; individual editions and series vary, and an edition's own preface governs.

Last reviewed 2026-08-25

Meanings

The Leiden Convention marking text that was deliberately erased or cancelled in the original.

Historically documentedVerified fact

Marks text deliberately erased or cancelled in the original object.

Historically documentedVerified fact

Records an ancient act of deletion, so the notation preserves in print something the original's own maker tried to remove.

Confidence

IdentityModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the identity is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far.
Historical originLow confidence: Low confidence because the historical origin is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far, but the regional or cultural match to this specific claim is not precise.
Current useModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the current use is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far.
Visual matchModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the visual match is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far.

Sources

The Leiden Conventions for epigraphic and papyrological editions
International Congress of Orientalists (Leiden, 1931) and subsequent revisions · retrieved 2026-08-21
The agreed system of editorial brackets for inscriptions and papyri, in force since 1931 and revised in practice since. Widely followed across classical epigraphy and papyrology and not universally; individual editions and series vary, and an edition's own preface governs.

Last reviewed 2026-08-25