fragmentary text

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "fragmentary text" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a text that is incomplete or consists of disjointed parts, often in literary or academic contexts. Example: "The archaeologists discovered a fragmentary text that provided insights into the ancient civilization's beliefs."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

Directed by Mladen Materic, and with a rich, fragmentary text (in French) by Peter Handke, La Cuisine investigates what the kitchen represents in our lives.

The Guardian

The fragmentary text does not reveal, however, whether the expedition of Keret, like that of the Achaean army against Troy, was meant to regain the hero's wife or to acquire for him a new bride.

Britannica

Radiocarbon dating reveals the fragmentary text, which is inscribed on 70 pieces of birch bark and contains hundreds of zeroes, dates to as early as the 3rd or 4th century – about 500 years older than scholars previously believed.

The Guardian

Her first book, Widow Basquiat, was a fragmentary text of fact and storytelling about the painter Jean-Michel Basquiat's long-term partner and muse, set against the downtown art scene of 80s New York.

The Guardian - Books

To present what is missing from a fragmentary text not as a lack, but as an opportunity to put the imagination to work, shows an uncommon adventurousness of thought, and helps explain why Carson should structure her latest book in a way that provides similar "free spaces".

The Guardian - Books

When Friedrich Engels's fragmentary text, The Dialectics of Nature, dating from 1883, was rediscovered in the 1930s, it was regarded as demonstrating that nature itself conformed to the philosophical principles that he and Marx had formulated in their decades of collaboration.

The Guardian - Books

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

Dr Tomlin has also wrestled with unimaginably fragmentary texts, full of obliterated letters and damaged passages.

The Guardian - Opinion

The completeness of Ebla's texts, which at points duplicate fragmentary texts from Sumer, greatly enhances the modern study of Sumerian.

Britannica

The title of "Bracko" alludes to the many brackets that mark the fragmentary texts of Sappho's poems, whose incomplete nature becomes obvious in live performance.

The New York Times - Arts

A 20-minute work in five movements, "touché" takes the form of a bitter lovers' squabble, with fragmentary texts by Sabine Marienburg, who is married to the composer.

The New York Times - Arts

Kyle's dissertation will explore the connections and dissonances between "deep" forms of reading, such as literary close reading, and "hyper" modes that privilege the frenetic consumption of bite-size, fragmentary texts (cf. Hayles, "Hyper and Deep Attention").

University of California, Berkeley

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing ancient documents or archaeological finds, use "fragmentary text" to accurately convey their incomplete state.

Common error

Avoid attributing the fragmentation to authorial intent when it's due to external factors like damage or loss over time.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "fragmentary text" functions primarily as a noun phrase, where 'fragmentary' modifies 'text', describing its state of being incomplete or in pieces. Ludwig confirms its correct usage.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Encyclopedias

30%

Academia

30%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "fragmentary text" is a grammatically correct and usable term to describe incomplete or damaged written works. As supported by Ludwig, it appears most frequently in news, encyclopedic, and academic contexts. When using this phrase, be mindful of accurately representing the cause of the fragmentation and its implications for interpretation. Consider related phrases like "incomplete text" or "broken text" for nuanced descriptions. The phrase is suitable for formal and informal writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

incomplete text

Focuses on the lack of wholeness or completion.

broken text

Emphasizes the damaged or disrupted nature of the text.

partial text

Highlights that only a portion of the text is available.

disjointed text

Suggests a lack of coherence and connection between parts of the text.

fragmented writing

Focuses on the writing style being in fragments.

scattered text

Implies the text is dispersed and not easily accessible.

segmented text

Indicates the text is divided into distinct segments.

mutilated text

Suggests severe damage or alteration of the text.

damaged manuscript

Specifically refers to a manuscript that has suffered damage, resulting in missing or illegible parts.

incomplete manuscript

Refers to a manuscript that was never fully written.

FAQs

How can I use "fragmentary text" in a sentence?

You can use "fragmentary text" to describe incomplete writings, such as "The archaeologist discovered a "fragmentary text" that shed light on ancient rituals."

What's a good substitute for "fragmentary text"?

Depending on the context, alternatives include "incomplete text", "partial text", or "broken text".

Is it appropriate to use "fragmentary text" in formal writing?

Yes, "fragmentary text" is appropriate in formal writing, especially when discussing historical documents, literary analysis, or archaeological findings. It accurately describes the condition of the text.

What does "fragmentary text" imply about the original document?

A "fragmentary text" implies that the original document is missing parts, either due to damage, loss, or incomplete preservation. This impacts its interpretation and understanding.