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terminology - What are the technical symbols used in the margin of a page called?


I research Latin texts which discuss a peculiar medieval practice: the addition of minute graphic symbols into the margins of the page, for example in order to indicate passages of interest, flaws in argumentation or for some other technical purpose. The Latin-users had a very clear technical terminology for such signs: they called them notae (sg. nota) and the verb that they used to talk about this addition was adnotare (plus there was a whole range of words that could be formed from these two). Modern English does not seem to have a term that would have the same technical meaning and I have a constant problem with both native and non-native English speakers when I am trying to write or speak about these notae.


I have tried the English word markup (and its derivates), but this did not find favour with my audience. Translation as signs or marks is too vague and broad to be helpful. I cannot use the Latin word nota indefinitely, especially since I cannot make a verb out of it that would make sense in English.


What would you call this 'thing'?


An example of the technical signs in question: http://daten.digitale-sammlungen.de/bsb00054504/image_69 (PX- and PO-shaped symbols in the right margin)




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