rubrication

Etymology

From rubric + -ation.

rubrication means A form of calligraphy, in medieval manuscripts, in which added text was coloured in red. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 88 out of 100.

Why “rubrication” is a great word

RUBRICATION — [Noun] The practice, in medieval manuscripts, of adding text such as headings, initials, or marks of emphasis in red ink. From the Latin rubrica ("red ochre, red earth") + -ation, via the Late Latin verb rubricare ("to color red"). Unlike "illumination," which lavishes pages with gold and vibrant pigments, or "calligraphy," which perfects the form of letters, rubrication is a functional grace, the typographical architecture of the page. It is the sharp vermilion stroke that cleaves a chapter, the bold crimson capital that arrests a weary eye, and the delicate marginal nota bene that whispers importance—a quiet, arterial logic that gives a dense manuscript its breath and its bones.

noun

A form of calligraphy, in medieval manuscripts, in which added text was coloured in red.