Publisher and editor: why they belong on the record
· 4 min read
A classical Arabic text may exist in ten editions. One is established from manuscripts by a recognised scholar; another is a reprint with no critical apparatus. They share a title, but they are not the same book.
What differs between editions
Often the text itself: variants, corrections, passages added or dropped. The pagination, which you cite. The notes, the indexes, the print quality. When you cite a page, you must say which edition.
What to write down
The publisher, place and date, and the name of whoever verified or established the text (the muhaqqiq). Four details, once, at the time of entry. It spares you from comparing two copies by eye later.
Qimtar's catalogue has fields for this, and search takes them into account.
When you're about to buy
Facing a new edition of a book you already own, the question gets precise: is it better than yours, or only prettier? Without notes you can't answer.