What Does Unabridged Mean?
Unabridged is a term used to describe any text which has been left unchanged from its original form, be it a novel, poem, or work of nonfiction. The term ‘unabridged’ goes back to the 16th century, when it originally meant a book ‘with no branch cut away’ – that is, a book which had not been shortened or adapted from its original. While in the past the word was used to describe collections of works that had not been trimmed, now it usually refers to books which are complete, unedited, and unabridged.
Why Use Unabridged Books?
Many readers prefer to stick to using unabridged books. Unabridged books are very useful to students and scholars who are looking to research an author’s body of work without being subjected to any editorial changes, such as alterations to the author’s own language, paraphrasing, cutting, and so on.
It is also true that many readers simply prefer to read texts in their original, complete form, without any alterations. This is especially true of readers of classical works. The language used by authors such as Shakespeare, Homer, and many other authors of the past can be confusing and hard to understand, and many readers opt for reading an unabridged edition of a book in its original form so as to understand the text in its entirety.
In addition, some works which have been given the “unabridged” label also come with helpful tools such as maps, timelines, biographies, and so on which can help the reader to better understand a text.
Where to Find Unabridged Texts
Unabridged books can be found at various booksellers – both in physical stores and online – as well as in libraries. Since the use of unabridged books is increasing in popularity, more publishers are publishing unabridged texts.
It is not just books that can be left in their original form either. Many audiobooks also come in complete, unabridged versions, as do some ebooks.
Conclusion
Unabridged books are becoming increasingly popular with readers, both for educational purposes and for the appreciation of complete texts in their original form. Unabridged books can be found in physical and online bookstores, as well as in libraries.