A manuscript is a document written by hand. Parchment is a writing material produced from the hides of cows, goats, or sheep. Paper was introduced into the Iberian peninsula by the Muslims in the tenth century. It was not until the late fourteenth century that it was in widespread use in Europe.
Illumination refers to the illustration of mss.
A rubric is a heading of a section, chapter, or other part of a ms. When the recto and verso are referred to in locating a particular work in a ms. Thus Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is on ff. A holograph is a manuscript handwritten by the author. A colophon is an inscription written by a scribe, usually at the end of a manuscript.