limma
The word limma or leimma (from Greek: {{math|λείμμα}}, leimma; meaning "remnant") can refer to several different musical intervals, and one form of breath-mark to indicate spacing within lyrics; their only common property is that all are very small either in pitch difference or in time.
Pitch
More specifically, in Pythagorean tuning (i.e. 3-limit):
- The original Pythagorean limma, {{sfrac| 256 | 243 }}, a Pythagorean interval ({{Audio|Pythagorean minor semitone on C.mid|play}}).
and in 5-limit tuning:
- The 5-limit diatonic semitone, {{sfrac| 16 | 15 }} ({{Audio|Just diatonic semitone on C.mid|play}}). Although closer in size to the Pythagorean apotome than to the limma, it has been so called because of its function as a diatonic semitone rather than a chromatic one.
- The 5-limit limma (now a diesis), {{sfrac| 128 | 125 }}, the amount by which three just major thirds fall short of an octave ({{Audio|5-limit limma on C.mid|play}}).
- The major limma, {{sfrac| 135 | 128 }}, which is the difference between two major whole tones and a minor third ({{Audio|Greater chromatic semitone on C.mid|play}}).
Metre
A leimma is also the name of a musical / metrical symbol ({{math|𝉅}}) for the timing of sung lyrics. If written over lyrics to it directed the singer to insert the shortest possible pause between words or syllables it was placed over.{{cite dictionary |title={{math|λεῖμμα}} |date=4 September 2023 |edition=last edit |dictionary=Liddell, Scott, Jones Ancient Greek Lexicon (online) |quote=2 (b) in Rhythm, the shortest pause, {{math|λ. ἐν ῥυθμῷ}} {{math|χρόνος κενὸς}} {{math|ἐλάχιστος}} Aristid. Quint. 1.18 . |url=https://lsj.gr/wiki/%CE%BB%CE%B5%E1%BF%96%CE%BC%CE%BC%CE%B1 |access-date=2024-03-15 |via=LSJ - Ancient Greek dictionaries}}
Modern equivalents are:
- a breath mark
- a comma [,]
- a sixteenth note or perhaps a Thirty-second note