Encoding various types of forme work (including page numbers, line numbers, catchwords, press figures, signatures, and a few other features) using the mw element
The WWP encodes the material which is part of the infrastructure of the page (that which is not part of the running text, also called “metawork”) using the mw element. There should be little to no phrase-level markup in mw since it does not function as part of the text itself. For instance, if a person’s name appears as a mw type="catch", the name should not be tagged with persName. Likewise, all hyphens in catchwords are hard, not soft. See 100 for more detail, and see 169 for information on how to encode page breaks themselves. The infrastructure of mwincludes:
Page numbers: These are the numbers which indicate the sequence of pages or of leaves within the book. Most of our texts have numbered pages; in some older texts, the leaf (the sheet of paper whose front and back are two separate pages) is the unit of numbering. In these cases the number will only occur on the recto of the page. We encode page and leaf numbers as mw type="pageNum". We only transcribe the informational content of the page number, not delimiters (punctuation, ornaments or ruled lines) surrounding it.
Line numbers: These are numbers printed in the margin which indicate the number of lines (usually in poetry, less frequently in drama, almost never in prose). We encode line numbers with <mw type="lineNum">. See 207 for more detail.
Catchwords: these are words printed at the bottom right corner of the page that repeat the first word of the following page. Their function is to help the binder check that the pages have been assembled in the correct order. We encode catchwords using <mw type="catch">. For more information, see 100.
Signatures or gathering marks: these are the letters printed at the bottom of the page which indicate the order in which the signatures should be bound together in the completed book. We encode signatures using mw type="sig". We only transcribe the informational content of the signature, not delimiters surrounding it, unless the delimiter serves to distinguish this signature from another (otherwise identical) appearing elsewhere in the volume. See 080 for more detail.
Press figures: these are numbers or other symbols printed at the bottom of the page to identify the pressman who printed the forme. They differ from signatures in that they do not form part of a sequence, and they typically do not include letters (to avoid confusion with signatures). They are encoded as <mw type="pressFig">.
Volume numbers: these are volume numbers printed at the bottom of the page, usually right near the signature or gathering mark, and almost always in the form “Vol. I”, etc. These are encoded with mw type="vol". They should not be confused with volume information appearing on the title page, which should be encoded with titlePart type="vol".
Headings at page or column breaks in tables and lists: these are headings which repeat the main heading for a column in a list or table, occasioned by a page or column break in the middle of the list. So for instance in a list of expenses, with headings “Date”, “Item”, and “Price”, if the list continues after the page break these headings will in all likelihood be repeated. We encode these repeated headings with <mw type="listHead">. Each heading is encoded within a separate mw.
The WWP does not encode the book or chapter title where it appears in the running head or footer, any ornamentation appearing in the running head or footer, or delimiters surrounding page numbers, signatures, etc.