hypotext

English

Etymology

From hypo- +‎ text.

Noun

hypotext (plural hypotexts)

1. (semiotics) An earlier text which serves as the source of a subsequent piece of literature.
   • 2007, Allan F. Moore, Critical Essays in Popular Musicology, Routledge:

     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.

   • 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:

     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 […]

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

     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.

Further reading

• hypotext on Wikipedia.Wikipedia