From the Latin corruptio / corruptēla ''that which corrupts: corruption, seduction, bribery' from corrumpo 'to break to pieces, etc.'.
A corruption in a text is an innovation in a textual tradition that makes no sense. If the corruption can be traced back to the archetype, the editor has to resort to conjecture or mark the reading as a locus desperatus that cannot be understood or emended with the current knowledge of the text.
In other languages
DE: Korruptel(e)
FR: corruption
IT: corruttela
LAT: corruptēla