Manual says ~If wanting to delete an event IT will also delete the source

Question

I have a lot of stuff [Q time] on my desktop and wanted to use Final cut to whittle all of it down to just the footage I want to use. That being my way of getting more space on disk.
Tried and can do using just Q time BUT thought easier to import to Final cut, work upon and then export back to desk, for later use.
Is this stupid, don't know, the point being upon trying to do so I'm told that Final cut will also delete the source material, and i have some material already in an event which I now want to clear form Final cut, reason to start afresh~ clean slate etc, etc, BUT~ don't want to lose the original material.
Can anyone explain please~ 1] what is meant by source material and 2] how to best go about doing the above
REGARDS
LLOYD
aka Apple E ed {{{ oh and just how do I go about changing that Apple E ed for something else, will also be useful ... please }}}}

Answer 1

When you import media into an event in FCP X, it can be either copied (meaning a duplicate of your file will be created inside the event folder) or linked (which means that the event folder contains a very small "symlink" - similar to an alias - that points to your original file).
If you later delete the event, its folder will be deleted, and so will the copy or symlink of your media file, BUT in either case FCP X will NOT touch the original media file.
Maybe the misunderstanding came to be because FCP X stores these files or aliases inside the event, in a folder called "Original Media". Yes, that folder is destroyed, but NO, that folder does not contain the file from which you imported: it contains merely a copy of it, or a link to it.