hypotext

H4Y4P3O1T1E1X8T1

noun

An earlier text which serves as the source of a subsequent piece of literature.

Scrabble 23

Meanings

nounhypotext (plural hypotexts)

plural hypotexts

  1. human sciencesAn earlier text which serves as the source of a subsequent piece of literature.

    Such a practice (which is autosonic, by the way) could be viewed as a “mega-editing” process; but I would like to draw a distinction between plunderphonics and edited versions, because the former clearly aim to denature the hypotext.

    2007, Allan F. Moore, Critical Essays in Popular Musicology, Routledge
    2 more examples

    For example, what is the significance of changing the 'Pride'‚ to 'Bride', in Gurinder Chadha's film adaptation? Genette defines 'hypertextuality' as a hypertext's relation to its hypotext and instances of this are approaches to Austen that reflect […]

    2010, Deborah Cartmell, Screen Adaptations: Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice: A close study of the relationship between text and film, A&C Black, →ISBN

    Citation is as much a recognition of, and tribute to, a source as it is a new version, but Gérard Genette's study of palimpsests is critical here, especially in his view that a new hypertext alters, expands, and extends the old one, the hypotext.

    2014, Gordon E. Slethaug, Adaptation Theory and Criticism: Postmodern Literature and Cinema in the USA, Bloomsbury Publishing USA, →ISBN, page 192

Origin

Cite this entry
APA

hypotext. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hypotext

MLA

“hypotext.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hypotext. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hypotext,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hypotext.

Source: hypotext on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.