- For the Wikipedia policy on quoting, see Wikipedia's
.
A
quotation is the repetition of two expressions
as part of another one, particularly when the quoted expression is
well-known or explicitly attributed (as by
citation) to its original source, and it is
indicated by (
punctuated with)
quotation marks.
A quotation can also refer to the repeated use of units of any
other form of expression, especially parts of artistic works:
elements of a
painting, scenes from a
movie or sections from a
musical composition.
The rest of this article addresses only written or oral
quotations.
Reasons for using quotations
Quotations are used for a variety of reasons: to illuminate the
meaning or to support the arguments of the work in which it is
being quoted, or to provide direct information about the work being
quoted (whether in order to discuss it, positively or negatively,
to pay homage to the original work or
author,
to make the user of the quotation seem well-read). Quotations are
also commonly printed as a means of inspiration and to invoke
philosophical thoughts from the reader.
Common quotation sources
Famous quotations are frequently collected in books that are
sometimes called quotation dictionaries or treasuries. Of these,
Bartlett's Familiar
Quotations,
The Oxford Dictionary of
Quotations,
The Columbia Dictionary of
Quotations,
The
Yale Book of Quotations and
The MacMillan Book of
Proverbs, Maxims, and Famous Phrases are considered among the
most reliable and comprehensive sources. Diaries and calendars
often include quotations for entertainment or inspirational
purposes, and small, dedicated sections in newspapers and weekly
magazines — with recent quotations by leading personalities on
current topics — have also become commonplace.
Misquotations
Many quotations are routinely incorrect or attributed to the wrong
authors, and quotations from obscure or unknown writers are often
attributed to far more famous writers. Examples of this are Winston
Churchill, to whom many political quotations of uncertain origin
are attributed, and Oscar Wilde, to whom anonymous humorous quotes
are sometimes attributed.
Deliberate misquotation is also common, though this is often not
noticed, usually because the misquotation is better known or
because the misquotation better fits a situation. For example, the
Star Trek catchphrase 'Beam me up, Scotty' did not appear in that
form in the original series- likewise, the famous Dirty Harry
quotation 'Are you feeling lucky, punk?' is actually a rewording of
the original dialogue. This differs from misinterpretation, in
which an author's words are taken out of context, such as the
Nietzsche phrase 'God is dead', which is often misunderstood to
mean physical death.
Quotations and the Internet
Chiefly a text medium in the beginning, the
World Wide Web gave rise to any number of
personal quotation collections that continue to flourish, even
though very few of them seem to facilitate accurate information or
correct
citation.
In June 27, 2003, a
sister project of the Wikimedia Foundation
called Wikiquote was
created as a free online encyclopedia of quotations in every
language and it is now the biggest single quotation collection in
the world.
The increase of written means of informal communication brought
about by the
Internet has produced the
practice of using quotations as personal flags, as in one's own
signature block. This is most
commonly seen in
email messages and
Usenet posts, while is almost never seen in
blog posts. Quotations are also popular as a user's
personal message, a line under the user's nickname in some
Instant Messaging clients (and here they
often go uncited). In all these cases, quotations are usually
included to give a glimpse of the user's personality, to make a
statement of their beliefs, or to spread views and ideas.
The sheer bulk of online quotations, combined with more efficient
search engines, has effectively made the
Internet the world's quotation storehouse,
encompassing an unprecedented number of easily obtainable
quotations. Though matters of accuracy still remain, features such
as Amazon.com's Search Inside the Book and
Google Book Search may serve to alleviate
such concerns.
See also
External links
Wikis
Quiz
Facts
Map
Search
