Sometimes from the apparatus we will want to mention that a reading is confirmed by a group of manuscripts or consensus codicum, which in traditional editions are usually identified by the sigla "cett.", "ω", etc.

To do this, we introduce a <witness> in the <listWit> of codices, using the sigla or the conventions of our reference editions. In this form:

<witness xml:id="cett">
	<abbr type="siglum">cett.</abbr>
	ceteri codices aut omnes praeter eos qui separatim laudantur
</witness>

The text describing the manuscript here is replaced by the description explaining what this consensusconsists of. But if an abstract description such as this does not provide much information about which particular manuscripts are included in it, then it may be useful to list the manuscripts that comprise this consensusone by one, using a cross reference:

<witness xml:id="cett">
	<abbr type="siglum">cett.</abbr>
	ceteri codices aut omnes praeter eos qui separatim laudantur: <ref type="cross" target="#A"/>, <ref type="cross" target="#B"/> et <ref type="cross" target="#F"/>
</witness>

Another type of consensus can serve to cite in the witness list a lost manuscript that is reconstructed from others, as for example:

<witness xml:id="μ">
	 <abbr type="siglum">μ</abbr>
	 amissus codex quidam Patauinus, ex <ref type="cross" target="#S"/>, <ref type="cross" target="#F"/>, <ref type="cross" target="#M"/>, <ref type="cross" target="#N"/> et <ref type="cross" target="#V"/> conflatus
</witness>

The <ref> is explained in detail in the section Links and cross-references. In this case the attribute @type="cross"is added, and its @target will be the @xml:id of the <witness> which is included in the consensus in question.

See the chapter that describes <witness> to learn more about how to assign a unique @xml:id to each manuscript or witness.