Etymology: < Anglo-Norman and Middle French, French rubrique red ochre (1372), chapter, fragment of a text (although this is apparently first attested slightly later: a1444), established custom, set of rules (1632; compare Anglo-Norman ruberich , Anglo-Norman and Middle French rubriche , Middle French rebriche , rubrice rubrish n.) and its etymon classical Latin rubrīca red ochre, chapter heading (written in red ink) in a book of law, chapter in a book of law, in post-classical Latin also monastic rule (10th cent.) < ruber red (see rubro- comb. form) + -īca , suffix forming nouns. Compare Catalan rúbrica (14th cent.), Spanish rúbrica (c1250, earliest in sense A. 2), Portuguese rubrica (14th cent.), Italian rubrica (end of the 13th cent.). The Latin word was also borrowed into other Germanic languages, in some cases via French; compare Middle Dutch rubrike (earliest in sense ‘red ochre’; Dutch rubriek ), Middle Low German rubrīke , German Rubrik (15th cent.), Swedish rubrik (1674; also †rubrique (1692)), Danish rubrik (18th cent.). With senses A. 1, A. 2 compare rubrish n.Senses A. 1a and A. 2b are apparently not paralleled in French until later (1611 (in Cotgrave) for the specific legal, 1671 for the specific liturgical sense). In sense A. 4 after Spanish rúbrica (1427 or earlier in this sense), extended use of rúbrica text (e.g. chapter heading) written in red ink; compare post-classical Latin use of classical Latin rubrīca in the same sense (1116 in a Spanish source). In quot. 1762 at sense A. 4 after Portuguese rubrica, in same sense (1681 or earlier). In sense B. 2b apparently by association with classical Latin rubia red dye, madder (see rubiaceous adj.). The form rubick in quot. 1659 at sense B. 2a is either another instance of this folk-etymological association, or perhaps simply shows a typographical error.

Etymology: < rubric n. Compare earlier rubricate v., rubrish v.