Context: Two common considerations have the Latin names lectio brevior (shorter reading) and lectio difficilior (more difficult reading). The first is the general observation that scribes tended to add words, for clarification or out of habit, more often than they removed them. The second, lectio difficilior potior (the harder reading is stronger), recognizes the tendency for harmonization—resolving apparent inconsistencies in the text. Applying this principle leads to taking the more difficult (unharmonized) reading as being more likely to be the original. Such cases also include scribes simplifying and smoothing texts they did not fully understand.

Question: Define "lectio brevior"
Answer: shorter reading

Question: Define "lectio difficilior"
Answer: more difficult reading

Question: What is the main principle of lectio brevior?
Answer: scribes tended to add words, for clarification or out of habit

Question: What is the main principle of lectio difficilior?
Answer: the tendency for harmonization—resolving apparent inconsistencies in the text.

Question: Is a lectio brevrio or lectio difficilior approach more akin to the original text?
Answer: Applying this principle leads to taking the more difficult (unharmonized) reading as being more likely to be the original.

Question: What's the term for "longer reading"?
Answer: Unanswerable

Question: What's the term for "easier reading"?
Answer: Unanswerable

Question: What is the term for when words are deducted for clarification?
Answer: Unanswerable

Question: What is the term for when there are consistencies in the text?
Answer: Unanswerable