also: そこほん · そこぼん
noun
original text; source book
Refers to the original or base text from which copies, translations, or editions are derived. Common in academic, literary, and publishing contexts.
この翻訳は底本に忠実だ。
This translation is faithful to the original text.
研究者は底本を比較して異同を調
The researchers compared the source texts to examine discrepancies.
noun
Used for a draft or manuscript that serves as the basis for a final version. Less common than sense 1; often replaced by 原稿 or 草案 in modern usage.
編集者は底本に赤字を入れた。
The editor marked corrections on the draft.
Alternate reading with rendaku; rarely used.
Compound of 底 (そこ, 'bottom; base') and 本 (ほん, 'book'). The reading ていほん uses the on'yomi of 底, while そこほん/そこぼん use kun'yomi. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word has been used in textual scholarship since at least the Edo period.