amend, emend

1. Amend is the more common word, used of making adjustments to a document or formal proposal (such as a parliamentary act), and also as a special word for 'to change' or 'to alter' in the context of personal behaviour. Its etymological meaning is 'free from fault' (from Latin mendum or menda 'fault, blemish'), and there is always a notion of correction or improvement in its meaning.

2. Emend and emendation are used mainly to refer to the activity of textual scholars in proposing changes in the reading of texts and manuscripts so as to make them more intelligible or remove errors.

Previous:	amen, ambivalent, ambiguous, ambiguity
Next:	amid, amidst, amoeba, amok, amuck