View source for Sic

{{Italic title}}
{{short description|Mark indicating that "errors" in a quotation stem from the source}}

The [[w:Latin|Latin]] [[w:adver|b]] '''''sic''''' ("thus", "just as"; in full: {{Lang-la|label=none|sic erat scriptum}}, "thus was it written")<ref>Footnotes, 1, in opinion of November 15, 2012 in ''U.S. v. Bryant'', Case No. 11-CR-20034. (Federal judge noted using variant spelling of Bryant's given name, "'sic erat scriptum'" in court document.)</ref> inserted after a quoted word or passage indicates that the quoted matter has been transcribed or translated exactly as found in the source text, complete with any erroneous, archaic, or otherwise nonstandard spelling, [[w:punctuation|punctuation]], or [[w:grammar|grammar]]. It also applies to any surprising assertion, faulty reasoning, or other matter that might be interpreted as an [[w:Transcription error|error of transcription]].

The typical usage is to inform the reader that any errors or apparent errors in quoted material do not arise from errors in the course of the transcription, but are intentionally reproduced, exactly as they appear in the source text. It is generally placed inside square brackets to indicate that it is not part of the quoted matter.

''Sic'' may also be inserted derisively or sarcastically, to call attention to the original writer's spelling mistakes or erroneous logic, or to show general disapproval or dislike of the material.<ref name=garner2001/>

==Etymology and historical usage==
Though occasionally misidentified as an abbreviated word, ''sic'' is a Latin adverb used in English as an adverb, and, derivatively, as a noun and a verb.<ref name=oed1989>"sic, adv. (and n.)" ''Oxford English Dictionary'', Second Edition 1989. [[w:Oxford University Press|]]</ref> The [[w:adverb|adverb]] ''sic'', meaning "intentionally so written", first appeared in English circa 1856.<ref name="webster2003">{{sup|3}}sic. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=OwCyCvI8mokC&lpg=PP1&pg=RA1-PA1156#v=onepage&q&f=false Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary]''. Merriam-Webster, 2003. {{ISBN|0-87779-809-5}}, {{ISBN|978-0-87779-809-5}}. (p.1156)</ref> It is derived from the [[w:Latin|Latin]] adverb ''sīc'', which means "so, thus, in this manner".<ref>Cassell's Latin Dictionary</ref> According to the ''[[w:Oxford English Dictionary|Oxford English Dictionary]]'', the verbal form of ''sic'', meaning "to mark with a ''sic''", emerged in 1889, [[w:E. Belfort Bax|E. Belfort Bax]]{{'s}} work in ''The Ethics of Socialism'' being an early example.<ref>"sic, adv. (and n.)" ''Oxford English Dictionary'', Second Edition 1989. Oxford University Press; see also E. Belfort Bax. [http://www.marxists.org/archive/bax/1887/05/modcant.htm "On Some Forms of Modern Cant"]. Commonweal: 7 May 1887. Marxists' Internet Archive: 14 Jan. 2006</ref>

===False etymologies===
On occasion, ''sic'' has been misidentified as an [[w:acronym|acronym]] (and therefore sometimes misspelled with periods): "s.i.c." is said to stand for "spelled in context", "said in context", "said in copy", "spelling is correct", "spelled incorrectly", and other such [[w:folk etymology|folk etymology]] phrases.<ref>e.g. {{Cite web|url=http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/sic |title=Thefreedictionary.com |access-date=2014-04-10 }}</ref> These are all incorrect and are simply [[w:backronym|backronym]]s from ''sic''.

==Modern usage==
Use of ''sic'' greatly increased in the mid-20th century.<ref name=garner2000>[[w:Bryan A. Garner|]]. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=z_VmtjAU01YC&lpg=PA313&ots=6FhO4h1UH2&pg=PA305#v=onepage&q&f=false The Oxford dictionary of American usage and style]''. Oxford University Press US, 2000. {{ISBN|0-19-513508-3}}, {{ISBN|978-0-19-513508-4}}</ref> For example, in [[w:United States|United States]] state-court opinions before 1944, ''sic'' appeared 1,239 times in the [[w:Westlaw|Westlaw]] database; in those from 1945 to 1990, it appeared 69,168 times, over 55 times as many.<ref name=garner2001>{{cite book |first=Bryan A. |last=Garner |chapter=sic |url=https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofmode00garn_0 |url-access=registration |title=A Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage |edition=2nd |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=USA |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-19-514236-5 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofmode00garn_0/page/806 806]–807}}</ref> Its use as a form of ridicule has been cited as a major factor in this increase.<ref name=garner2001/> The immoderate use of ''sic'' has created some controversy, leading some editors, including bibliographical scholar Simon Nowell-Smith and literary critic [[w:Leon Edel|Leon Edel]], to speak out against it.<ref>[[w:Leon Edel|]]{{'s}} "Introduction" to ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=ULO6DKBMY-4C&lpg=PR35&ots=bmYAvni7eU&pg=PR35#v=onepage&q=%22among%20scholars%20the%20discussion%22%20OR%20%22bracketed%20sic%22&f=false Henry James Letters]'' (Volume 1, 1843{{spaced ndash}}1875). Harvard University Press, 1974. {{ISBN|0-674-38780-5}}, {{ISBN|978-0-674-38780-5}}</ref>

===Conventional use===
''Sic'', in its bracketed form, is most often inserted into quoted or reprinted material to indicate meticulous accuracy in reproducing the preceding text, despite appearances to the reader of an incorrect or unusual [[w:orthography|orthography]] ([[w:spelling|spelling]], [[w:punctuation|punctuation]], grammar, syntax, fact, logic, etc.).<ref name=garner2001/><ref name=usd2009>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20100712020347/http://sunburst.usd.edu/~rring/History-Writing-Guide.pdf Grammar and Style]." ''USD History Guide for Writing Research Papers''. Department of History, University of South Dakota. 6/12/2009</ref> Several usage guides recommend that a bracketed ''sic'' be used primarily as an aid to the reader, not as an indicator of disagreement with the source.<ref name=garner2001/><ref name=coyle2009>{{cite book |author=William Coyle and Joe Law |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yKliWm106S8C&pg=PA72 |title=Research Papers |publisher=Cengage Learning |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-547-19081-5 |page=72}}</ref>

===Use to denote archaisms and dialect===
''Sic'' may show that an uncommon or [[w:Archaism|archaic]] expression is reported faithfully,<ref name=carillo2010>{{cite news |first=Jose A. |last=Carillo |url=http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/archives/12773-the-role-of-the-bracketed-sic-in-english-prose |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120527163020/http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/archives/12773-the-role-of-the-bracketed-sic-in-english-prose |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 27, 2012 |title=The role of the bracketed 'sic' in English prose |newspaper=[[w:The Manila Times|]] |date=March 6, 2010 }}</ref>{{failed verification|date=August 2019}} such as when quoting the [[w:U.S. Constitution|U.S. Constitution]]: "The House of Representatives shall {{sic|nolink=y|chuse|expected=choose}} their Speaker ..."<!-- Note that the spelling "chuse" is the point of this quotation—do not correct it to "choose" --> However, several writing guidebooks discourage its use with regard to dialect, such as in cases of [[w:American and British English spelling differences|American and British English spelling differences]].<ref name=garner2000/><ref name=coyle2009/><ref>{{cite web |first=Donald |last=Remero |url=http://www.irosetta.com/questions/307/quoting-british-american-english |title=Quoting British / American English |publisher=ieosetta.com |date=May 9, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101013230140/http://www.irosetta.com/questions/307/quoting-british-american-english |archive-date=October 13, 2010 }}</ref> The appearance of a bracketed ''sic'' after the word ''[[wikt:analyse|analyse]]'' in a book review led [[w:Bryan A. Garner|Bryan A. Garner]] to comment, "all the quoter (or overzealous editor) [sic] demonstrated was ignorance of British usage".<ref name=garner2001/>

===Ironic use===
{{See|w:Scare quotes}}
Occasionally a writer places [''sic''] after their own words, to indicate that the language has been chosen deliberately for special effect, especially where the writer's ironic meaning may otherwise be unclear.<ref name="fowler1929">H. W. Fowler (2001) ''A Dictionary of Modern English Usage''. Oxford : Oxford University Press, p. [[iarchive:dictionaryofmode00garn_0/page/807|807.]] {{ISBN|978-0-19-953534-7}}</ref> [[w:Bryan A. Garner|Bryan A. Garner]] dubbed this use of ''sic'' "ironic", providing the following example from [[w:Fred Rode|ll]]{{'s}} 1955 book ''Nine Men'':<ref name=garner2001/>
{{quote|[I]n 1951, it was the blessing bestowed on Judge [[w:Harold Medina|Harold Medina]]'s ''prosecution'' <!--sic is from source, not added for Wikipedia; italics of prosecution also from source-->[''sic''] of the eleven so-called 'top native Communists,' which blessing meant giving the Smith Act the judicial nod of constitutionality.}}

==Formatting==
Where ''sic'' follows the quotation, it takes [[w:bracket]]s: [''sic''].<ref name="Jessen">{{cite book | first=Edward W. | last=Jessen | url=http://www.sdap.org/downloads/Style-Manual.pdf | title=California Manual of Style: A Handbook of Legal Style for California Courts and Lawyers | year=2000 | pages=132–133 |access-date=2015-08-10| edition=4th }}</ref> The word ''sic'' is usually treated as a [[w:loanword|loanword]] that does not require italics, and the style manuals of New Zealand, Australian and British media outlets generally do not require italicisation.<ref name=coyle2009/> However, italicization is common in the United States, where authorities including ''[[w:APA Style|APA Style]]'' insist upon it.<ref>{{cite web|title=''Parentheses, Ellipses, and Brackets''|url=http://www.jccc.edu/files/pdf/writing-center/parentheses-ellipses-etc.pdf|website=Writing Center|publisher=Johnson County Community College|access-date=19 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120831214851/http://www.jccc.edu/files/pdf/writing-center/parentheses-ellipses-etc.pdf|archive-date=2012-08-31|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Because ''sic'' is not an abbreviation, placing a [[w:full stop|full stop]]/period inside the brackets after the word ''sic'' is erroneous,<ref>''[http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/quotations.html Quotations]''. The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Accessed: October 2, 2010</ref><ref name="cgsau">{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/columbiaguidetos00wils_0 |url-access=registration |page=[https://archive.org/details/columbiaguidetos00wils_0/page/395 395] |chapter=sic (adv.) |title=The Columbia Guide to Standard American English|first=Kenneth G. |last=Wilson |publisher=[[w:Columbia University Press|]] |year=1993 |isbn=9780231069885 |access-date=2009-11-03}}</ref> although one style guide suggests styling it as a parenthetical sentence only when used after a complete sentence, like so: ''(Sic.)''<ref name="Jessen"/>

==Alternatives==

===Replacement===
Some guides, including ''[[w:The Chicago Manual of Style|The Chicago Manual of Style]]'', recommend "quiet [[w:copy-editing|copy-editing]]" (unless where inappropriate or uncertain) instead of inserting a bracketed ''sic'', such as by substituting in brackets the correct word in place of the incorrect word or by simply replacing an incorrect spelling with the correct one.<ref name="garner2001" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Style Q&A: Quotations and Dialogue |url=https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/qanda/data/faq/topics/Quotations.html |website=The Chicago Manual of Style Online |access-date=28 September 2018 |quote=In paragraph 13.7, in the section on permissible changes to quotations, ''CMOS'' says, ‘Obvious typographic errors may be corrected silently (without comment or ''sic'') unless the passage quoted is from an older work or a manuscript source where idiosyncrasies of spelling are generally preserved.’}}</ref>

===''Recte''===

Alternatively, to show both the original and the suggested correction (as they often are in [[w:palaeography|palaeography]]), one may give the actual form, followed by ''recte'', then the correct form, in brackets. The Latin adverb ''recte'' means ''rightly''.<ref>Janet Fairweather. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=fh5OozghywIC&lpg=PR29&ots=w0g_Wnd7c5&pg=PR29#v=onepage&q=%22to%20correct%20factual%20inaccuracies%22&f=false Liber Eliensis]''. Boydell Press, 2005. {{ISBN|1-84383-015-9}}, {{ISBN|978-1-84383-015-3}}. (p. xxix)</ref> <!--There appear to be no widely used style guides of sufficient detail avoid mild [[w:SYNTHESIS]] regarding the use of ''recte'' on the Internet. Nonetheless, there are so many [http://www.google.com/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&q=%22sic+recte%22&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=Cze1sDfCnTIa6EIzmNL-RiTYAAACqBAVP0AaJ0g online examples of its use] that I feel we can [[WP:IAR|ignore the rule in order to improve the article]].-->
{{quote|An Iraqi battalion has consumed <!--recte not in source-->[''recte'' assumed] control of the former American military base, and our forces are now about 40 minutes outside the city.}}
According to the ''Journal of Seventeenth-Century Music Style Sheet'', there should be no punctuation, for example no colon, before the correct form when using ''recte''.<ref>Bruce Gustafson. ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20090929104108/http://sscm-jscm.press.illinois.edu/jscm_sty.pdf JSCM Style Sheet]''. Journal of Seventeenth-Century Music, 2 January 2010.</ref>

===Read===

A third alternative is to follow an error with ''sic'', a comma or colon, "read", and the correct reading, all within square brackets, as in the following example:
{{quote|Item 26 - 'Plan of space alongside Evinghews [sic: read Evening News] Printing Works and overlooked by St. Giles House University Hall', [Edinburgh]<ref>{{cite web|title=Item 26 – 'Plan of space alongside Evinghews [sic: read Evening News] Printing Works and overlooked by St. Giles House University Hall', [Edinburgh]|url=http://strathclyde.ica-atom.org/plan-of-space-alongside-evinghews-sic-read-evening-news-printing-works-and-overlooked-by-st-giles-house-university-hall|website=University of Strathclyde Archives|access-date=19 November 2014}}</ref>}}

==See also==

{{Div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[w:Dictated but not read|Dictated but not read]]
* [[w:Evidentiality|Evidentiality]]
* [[w:Irony punctuation|Irony punctuation]]
* [[w:List of Latin phrases|List of Latin phrases]]
* [[w:Qere and Ketiv|Qere and Ketiv]]
* [[w:Scare quotes|Scare quotes]]
* [[w:viz.|viz.]]
{{Div col end}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Wiktionary pipe|sic#Etymology_1|sic}}

[[Category:Latin words and phrases]]