Rubric
/ˈruː.brɪk/noun
A heading, title, or set of instructions; in liturgy, a rule or directions printed in red.
Did you know?The word comes from Latin ruber, “red,” because medieval scribes wrote important directions in red ink, so the “rules” of the text were literally marked in blood-colored script.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*reudh-
“to be red, ruddy”
Latin
Latin
ruber
“red”
Late Latin
Latin
rubrica
“red earth; red chalk; a heading or instruction written in red”
Old French
Old French
rubrique
“a heading, title, or chapter heading”
Middle English
English
rubrike
“a heading, title, or directions in a manuscript”
Modern English
English
rubric
“a heading, title, or set of directions; especially liturgical directions printed in red”
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