Arrow
In N-edo, "arrow" means 1\N, and is thus a synonym for edostep (but see the exceptions and extensions below). Thus in 22edo, 5/4 is one arrow lower than 9/7, and two arrows lower than 4/3.
"Arrow" refers to the up-arrows and down-arrows (^ and v) used in ups and downs notation to raise or lower by one edostep. Sometimes the name of a notation symbol comes to mean that which the symbol indicates. Just as "bar" (the vertical line that separates measures) has come to mean "measure", "arrow" has gained a new meaning.
When applied to sharp-1 edos like 19edo, "arrow" is somewhat counter-intuitive, because 19edo doesn't use ups and downs. Nevertheless, by analogy with other edos, in a 19edo context "arrow" means 1\19.
In some very large edos (e.g. 205edo#Notation), an up or down may indicate multiple edosteps, and one edostep may be indicated by a lift or a drop (written / or \). In such edos, "arrow" refers to multiple edosteps and "slant" refers to a single edostep. Arrows and slants are collectively called inflections. Sharps and flats are still called accidentals, and accidentals and inflections are collectively called alterations.
| Accidentals | Inflections | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arrows | Slants | ||||
| Sharp | Flat | Up | Down | Lift | Drop |
| ♯ | ♭ | ^ | v | / | \ |
In pergen notations, the terms arrows, slants, inflections, and alterations are used similarly. Thus one arrow in Triyo equals a tempered 81/80.
These uses of the terms arrow, slant, inflection and alteration were coined by Kite Giedraitis.