What is the meaning of Paratext? Concept, Definition of Paratext


What is: "Paratext" ‒Definiciones and Conceptos‒

1. Concept of Paratext in the Wikipedia Encyclopedia

The term Paratext refers to the set of statements that accompany the text of a work, such as the title, subtitle, preface, table of contents, etc.
The Paratext is intended to make this text, make its presence in the world, its reception and consumption. The Paratext establishes a framework that presents the text as a form of communication. Stands the Paratext of its author and the editorial Paratext. The first is produced by the author (your name, caption, preface, dedication, note at the bottom of page, etc.) and the second to the editor (top, catalog, copyright, etc.). But this distinction is permanently threatened, especially in the case of the texts (literary, philosophical) consumed in very long periods and which are therefore continuously recycled. There are authors who divided the Paratext in peritexto and epitexto. The first is the Party of the Paratext inseparable from text (title, table of contents). The second, on the contrary, circulates outside the text; You can be publishing (ads, catalogs) or copyright and, in case, public or private. The radio interview of an author shows the epitexto of public author, while a draft or a personal diary to show the epitexto.

2. Definition of Paratext

Although the notion of Paratext is not part of the dictionary of the Real Academia Española (RAE), its use is common in the field of Linguistics. It is known as Paratext to those messages, postulates or expressions that complement the main content of a text. Its purpose is to provide more information on the work in question and to organize its structure.
The title and the subtitle of a book are considered as paratextos, as well as a prologue, autographs, an index, notes the margin and other statements. These paratextos are created by the author himself.
Suppose that an author writes a 120-page novel about a child who wanted to visit the moon. In all of those pages develops its history: apart, includes paratextos as the title ("dreams that escape the world"), subtitles ("The birth of an illusion", "Preparations for flight") and a dedication ("my wife Fatima and my sons Romeo and Luis").
The Publisher, on the other hand, can also include paratextos, regardless of those included by the author himself. So are texts in lapels ("John Kuclick, born March 18, 1940, is an American author who began his literary career when she was 18 years of age..."), the lomo ("dreams that escape from the world, John Kuclick") and in other sectors of the book.
When the work in question is a research, it is common that the author mentions the sources consulted in the bibliography. It is also likely that, if the book is of a technical nature, will present a glossary. Both sections (bibliography and glossary) are part of the paratextual elements.