Marginalia

The Latin word for 'things in the margin', marginalia refers to writing or decoration in the margins of a manuscript.

The Latin word for 'things in the margin', marginalia refers to writing or decoration in the margins of a manuscript. Such features can form part of the original program of work, but they also can be of a secondary or even extraneous nature. Marginalia include glosses, annotations, and diagrams. Fully developed border decoration, especially that of the fifteenth century, is considered a separate genre or component of the decorative scheme.

  • Arabic:
    See Annotation. تطرير; تحشية; حواشٍ
  • French:
    Marginalia
  • German:
    Marginalia
  • Italian:
    Marginalia
  • Spanish:
    Marginalia

Michelle Brown, Understanding Illuminated Manuscripts (Malibu, CA: J. Paul Getty Museum in association with the British Library, c1994).