Temperament naming: Difference between revisions
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== Temperament and comma naming conventions == | == Temperament and comma naming conventions == | ||
=== State of the art === | === State of the art === | ||
A temperament name should be a common noun (thus written in lowercase), ideally consisting of a single word. This contrasts scales of a temperament, e.g. Machine[6], as well as concrete scales, e.g. Centaur. This convention of naming temperaments was first proposed in 2012<ref>[https://yahootuninggroupsultimatebackup.github.io/tuning/topicId_105566.html Yahoo! Tuning Group | ''Naming Convention Suggestion'']</ref>. | |||
Below are | Below are explained some notable features of naming which might otherwise be confusing to beginners of RTT. | ||
==== | ==== Use of a name for a temperament and its extensions ==== | ||
A name can be shared by a temperament as well as its [[strong extension]]s. For example, meantone was defined in the 5-, 7-, and 11-limit, each temperament in the higher limit being a strong extension to the ones in the lower limit. The reason is sometimes you get the higher-limit intervals "for free" when using the lower-limit temperament, in which case we consider extending the temperament this way the ''canonical extension''. Whether an extension is canonical or not depends on a lot of factors, but in general: | |||
* Only the best and most obvious extension is canonical; | |||
* If a temperament does not have an obvious extension, or has multiple competing extensions, none of them is canonical; | |||
* [[Weak extension]]s are never canonical since their structures are very different. | |||
==== Use of a | ==== Use of a related pair of names for a comma and its associated temperament ==== | ||
With a few exceptions, a name of a comma implies an eponymous temperament that tempers out the comma alone and vice versa, in which case we consider it an official common name. A description, or descriptive name, is an alternative, typically longer, term that conveys some additional information at the cost of lacking in uniqueness. For example, 225/224 is named the ''marvel comma'', and tempering it out results in the marvel temperament. Meanwhile, it has a descriptive name ''septimal kleisma'' that perhaps dates back to earlier times. | |||
==== Use of a related pair of names for prime-limit and subgroup temperaments ==== | ==== Use of a related pair of names for prime-limit and subgroup temperaments ==== | ||
It is often useful to investigate the implied full prime-limit temperament as well as the subgroup temperaments for a comma, especially in the higher limits where there is a shift of interest towards the subgroups. The following practice was established around 2022–2023 when many higher-limit commas were getting named: | It is often useful to investigate the implied full-prime-limit temperament as well as the subgroup temperaments for a comma, especially in the higher limits where there is a shift of interest towards the subgroups. The following practice was established around 2022–2023 when many higher-limit commas were getting named: if a comma is named the "''X''-isma", then the temperament which tempers out the ''X''-isma in the minimal [[prime subgroup]] containing that comma should be named "''X''-ic" and the temperament which tempers out the ''X''-isma in the minimal [[prime limit]] containing that comma should be named "''X-''ismic". However, that was not the only pattern in use. Below are tabulated all the widely observed and established patterns. | ||
{| class="wikitable center-all" style="margin: auto;" | |||
|+ Comma–temperament name patterns | |||
|- | |||
! # !! Short name !! Prime-limit temp. !! Prime-subgroup temp. !! Long name | |||
|- | |||
| 0 || -sma || -smic || -∅ || -∅ comma | |||
|- | |||
| 1 || -isma || -ismic || -ic || -ic comma | |||
|- | |||
| 2 || -ia || -ic || -ian || -ic comma | |||
|- | |||
| 3 || -on || -onic || -y || -y comma | |||
|} | |||
A comma page should ideally always include a mention of both the minimal-prime-subgroup and full-prime-limit temperaments. The temperaments and obvious and/or strong extensions may be discussed either there or on linked-to dedicated pages. | |||
=== Contemporary rules === | === Contemporary rules === | ||
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* The previous name is fairly new (within the last year). | * The previous name is fairly new (within the last year). | ||
Therefore, if one finds oneself at an impasse, refer to this work in progress section and see how many bullet points are in favour of a name or rename. With that said... | Therefore, if one finds oneself at an impasse, refer to this work in progress section and see how many bullet points are in favour of a name or rename. With that said, every rename proposal must have at least one ''strong reason''. The only time it is acceptable for it not to is if the previous name has very little or no usage and the rename does not cause friction (e.g. the recent proposer wants to change the name and there are no objections). | ||
If there are external references (outside of the wiki) beyond the mere proposal of the name, previous names may stay on the wiki for historical purposes, but should be moved out of the spotlights (lead section, infobox, etc.) to avoid the potential interpretation that these names are equally common/standard. It is important to note however that ''if'' there is nothing particularly wrong with the old name, then it is ''standard and common'' to let the old name coexist with the new name with the spirit that people can use whatever name they prefer. | |||
If, however, a name has received enough usage outside the wiki that a rename would be ''significantly'' inconvenient and confusing and/or if there is a very large amount of usage on the wiki so that many people may have seen and remembered the previous name, the previous name should be mentioned in passing towards the beginning of the page for clarity / to avoid confusion and for historical purposes. The only exception to this rule is if the name is NSFW, in which case it should be at the very least moved out of the spotlights if not removed entirely. | |||
If, however, a name has received enough usage outside the wiki that a rename would be ''significantly'' inconvenient and confusing and/or if there is a very large amount of usage on the wiki so that many people may have seen and remembered the previous name, the previous name should be mentioned in passing towards the beginning of the page for clarity/to avoid confusion and for historical purposes. The only exception to this rule is if the name is NSFW, in which case it should be at the very least moved out of the spotlights if not removed entirely. | |||
This summary of conventions aims to be comprehensive but not exhaustive. Minor reasons may be included if they are abstract in nature rather than overly specific in application. | This summary of conventions aims to be comprehensive but not exhaustive. Minor reasons may be included if they are abstract in nature rather than overly specific in application. | ||
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== Temperament name examples == | == Temperament name examples == | ||
{{Note| This is a closed list. Please explain temperament names in the temperament's dedicated article or catalog page. }} | |||
; [[Alphatricot]] | ; [[Alphatricot]] | ||
: Origin: Paul Erlich (2002) | : Origin: Paul Erlich (2002) | ||
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: Meaning: 3/2 is divided into 2 equal parts, hence ''di-''. Not sure why ''-cot''. ''-Cot'' has been suggested to originate from ''cotyledon'', the name for the embryo of a plant seed. | : Meaning: 3/2 is divided into 2 equal parts, hence ''di-''. Not sure why ''-cot''. ''-Cot'' has been suggested to originate from ''cotyledon'', the name for the embryo of a plant seed. | ||
; [[Diminished (temperament)|Diminished | ; [[Diminished (temperament)|Diminished]] | ||
: Origin: Paul Erlich and Carl Lumma (2002) | : Origin: Paul Erlich and Carl Lumma (2002) | ||
: Meaning: Diminished gets its name from its 1/4-octave period, corresponding to a diminished seventh chord.<ref>[https://yahootuninggroupsultimatebackup.github.io/tuning/topicId_34327#34708 Yahoo! Tuning Groups | ''new equal temperament 5-limit error lattices''] - "i think carl and i just came to the consensus here that this should be called 'diminished', and the one you're calling 'diesic' should be called 'augmented'. besides the reasons already given, the period of the 'diminished' linear temperament is 1/4 octave (thus outlining a diminished seventh chord)" —Paul Erlich</ref> | : Meaning: Diminished gets its name from its 1/4-octave period, corresponding to a diminished seventh chord.<ref>[https://yahootuninggroupsultimatebackup.github.io/tuning/topicId_34327#34708 Yahoo! Tuning Groups | ''new equal temperament 5-limit error lattices''] - "i think carl and i just came to the consensus here that this should be called 'diminished', and the one you're calling 'diesic' should be called 'augmented'. besides the reasons already given, the period of the 'diminished' linear temperament is 1/4 octave (thus outlining a diminished seventh chord)" —Paul Erlich</ref> | ||
: This naming was not immediate, however. Paul initially proposed the name ''octo-diminished''<ref>[https://yahootuninggroupsultimatebackup.github.io/tuning-math/topicId_1997#1998 Yahoo! Tuning Group | ''The four before meantone'']</ref>, which appears to be a reference to {{w|Olivier Messiaen}}'s {{w|Mode of limited transposition #Messiaen's list|2nd mode of limited transposition}}, which is also known as the octatonic or ''diminished'' scale; this scale also divides the octave into four equal parts.<ref>[https://yahootuninggroupsultimatebackup.github.io/tuning-math/topicId_2064#2068 Yahoo! Tuning Group | ''Kleismic & co'' - "Paul [Erlich] suggested 'Octo-diminished', since it can be done very well by the 64-et." —Gene Ward Smith]</ref> but soon switched to sometimes using ''diminished''<ref>[https://yahootuninggroupsultimatebackup.github.io/tuning-math/topicId_2009#2027 Yahoo! Tuning Group | ''Meantone & co'']</ref> and sometimes ''octatonic'', the latter of which was adopted by Joseph Monzo.<ref>[https://yahootuninggroupsultimatebackup.github.io/tuning-math/topicId_3433#3464 Yahoo! Tuning Group | ''some output from Graham's cgi''] - "I think [Joseph] Monz[o] and Paul [Erlich] have been calling it octatonic." —Carl Lumma</ref> Meanwhile, Gene proposed ''igor'' as a reference to {{w|Igor Stravinksy}}'s association with this scale,<ref>[https://yahootuninggroupsultimatebackup.github.io/tuning-math/topicId_3433#3455 Yahoo! Tuning Group | ''some output from Graham's cgi''] - "It's a Paul [Erlich] favorite, since it is associated to the octatonic scale of jazz and Stravinsky. We could call it igor, I suppose." —Gene Ward Smith</ref> but this did not catch on. Eventually ''octatonic'' was rejected for being too generic,<ref>[https://yahootuninggroupsultimatebackup.github.io/tuning/topicId_35256#35262 Yahoo! Tuning Group | ''Octatonic temperament''] - "I'm not sure 'octatonic' is a good name for the temperament. There must be other temperaments whose basic scale has 8 notes. Isn't this what folks are calling the 'diminished' temperament on tuning-math?" —Dave Keenan</ref> while ''diminished'' was held to convey the 1/4-octave structure of the temperament better,<ref>[https://yahootuninggroupsultimatebackup.github.io/tuning/topicId_35256#35264 Yahoo! Tuning Group | ''Octatonic temperament''] - "I guess I need a name for this system that doesn't imply there's ''only'' eight notes in the tuning. And 'diminished' does suggest the 1/4-octave framework of the scale, so it's a better name than 'octatonic'." —Herman Miller</ref> and so ''diminished'' came to predominate. | : This naming was not immediate, however. Paul initially proposed the name ''octo-diminished''<ref>[https://yahootuninggroupsultimatebackup.github.io/tuning-math/topicId_1997#1998 Yahoo! Tuning Group | ''The four before meantone'']</ref>, which appears to be a reference to {{w|Olivier Messiaen}}'s {{w|Mode of limited transposition #Messiaen's list|2nd mode of limited transposition}}, which is also known as the octatonic or ''diminished'' scale; this scale also divides the octave into four equal parts.<ref>[https://yahootuninggroupsultimatebackup.github.io/tuning-math/topicId_2064#2068 Yahoo! Tuning Group | ''Kleismic & co'' - "Paul [Erlich] suggested 'Octo-diminished', since it can be done very well by the 64-et." —Gene Ward Smith]</ref> but soon switched to sometimes using ''diminished''<ref>[https://yahootuninggroupsultimatebackup.github.io/tuning-math/topicId_2009#2027 Yahoo! Tuning Group | ''Meantone & co'']</ref> and sometimes ''octatonic'', the latter of which was adopted by Joseph Monzo.<ref>[https://yahootuninggroupsultimatebackup.github.io/tuning-math/topicId_3433#3464 Yahoo! Tuning Group | ''some output from Graham's cgi''] - "I think [Joseph] Monz[o] and Paul [Erlich] have been calling it octatonic." —Carl Lumma</ref> Meanwhile, Gene proposed ''igor'' as a reference to {{w|Igor Stravinksy}}'s association with this scale,<ref>[https://yahootuninggroupsultimatebackup.github.io/tuning-math/topicId_3433#3455 Yahoo! Tuning Group | ''some output from Graham's cgi''] - "It's a Paul [Erlich] favorite, since it is associated to the octatonic scale of jazz and Stravinsky. We could call it igor, I suppose." —Gene Ward Smith</ref> but this did not catch on. Eventually ''octatonic'' was rejected for being too generic,<ref>[https://yahootuninggroupsultimatebackup.github.io/tuning/topicId_35256#35262 Yahoo! Tuning Group | ''Octatonic temperament''] - "I'm not sure 'octatonic' is a good name for the temperament. There must be other temperaments whose basic scale has 8 notes. Isn't this what folks are calling the 'diminished' temperament on tuning-math?" —Dave Keenan</ref> while ''diminished'' was held to convey the 1/4-octave structure of the temperament better,<ref>[https://yahootuninggroupsultimatebackup.github.io/tuning/topicId_35256#35264 Yahoo! Tuning Group | ''Octatonic temperament''] - "I guess I need a name for this system that doesn't imply there's ''only'' eight notes in the tuning. And 'diminished' does suggest the 1/4-octave framework of the scale, so it's a better name than 'octatonic'." —Herman Miller</ref> and so ''diminished'' came to predominate. | ||
: Confusingly, in {{w|Jean-Philippe Rameau}}'s {{w|Treatise on Harmony}} from 1722, he called [[2048/2025]] the ''diminished comma''. This has been displaced by the modern name for 2048/2025, the ''diaschisma'', which gives its name to the diaschismic temperament, from [[Hermann von Helmholtz]] in 1875.<ref>[https://yahootuninggroupsultimatebackup.github.io/tuning/topicId_62661#62683 Yahoo! Tuning Groups | ''Diaschisma article'']</ref> The interval [[648/625]], the modern ''diminished comma'' by virtue of it being the one diminished temperament makes vanish, has been called the ''major diesis'' or ''greater diesis'',<ref>[[Wikipedia: Diesis]]</ref> and so ''major diesic'' was also proposed as a name for this temperament.<ref>[https://yahootuninggroupsultimatebackup.github.io/tuning-math/topicId_2064#2067 Yahoo! Tuning Groups | ''Kleismic & co'']</ref> This would have gone along with [[128/125]] being the ''(minor/lesser) diesis'' and thus ''minor diesic'' temperament. Despite this not working out this way (due in part to too many things being named using ''diesis''), in the end ''diminished'' and ''augmented'' still came out as an opposing pair. | |||
: Confusingly, in {{w|Jean-Philippe Rameau}}'s {{w|Treatise on Harmony}} from 1722, he called [[2048/2025]] the ''diminished comma'' | |||
; [[Dominant (temperament)|Dominant]] | ; [[Dominant (temperament)|Dominant]] | ||
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; [[Jamesbond]] | ; [[Jamesbond]] | ||
: Named from the fact that the wedgie is {{multival| 0 0 7 … }} | : Named from the fact that, because it shares the 5-limit of 7et and maps 7 to one generator, the wedgie is {{multival| 0 0 7 … }} | ||
; [[Keemun]] | ; [[Keemun]] | ||
: Origin: Herman Miller ( | : Origin: Herman Miller (2006) | ||
: Meaning: Name of a variety of tea which could fit into the same space as "keenan" and replace it. | : Meaning: Name of a variety of tea which could fit into the same space as "keenan" and replace it. | ||
: | : This temperament was discovered by [[Dave Keenan]], so an earlier proposed name was ''keenan''. As he did for the comma now known as the [[Keenanisma #Etymology|''keenanisma'']], Dave Keenan resisted the temperament being named after him, and preferred descriptive names to eponymous ones because they would be more useful. Unfortunately, by the time Dave's preference reached [[Paul Erlich]], Paul had already begun to use the name ''keenan'' in a series of diagrams, and so renaming it to something descriptive such as ''minorthirds'' at this point would require an inordinate amount of reordering busywork. Due to this, the effort to rename the temperament continued, but with the additional constraint that the name could not alter its alphabetical ordering with respect to its nearest neighboring temperaments in Paul's diagrams. The name chosen in the end, ''keemun'', was suggested by [[Herman Miller|Herman "Teamouse" Miller]] as a reference to {{w|Keemun}}, a Chinese black tea with a winey and fruity taste, designated as a China Famous Tea. | ||
: Although this name did not satisfy Dave's request for descriptiveness, it fulfilled the ultimate goal of distinguishing itself from the name ''kleismic'', thereby ending the unfortunate practice of calling this temperament, a 7-limit extension of hanson with a much lower accuracy, by ''kleismic'' also. See the temperament's dedicated page for sources. | |||
; [[Mabila]] | ; [[Mabila]] | ||
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; [[Sensi]] | ; [[Sensi]] | ||
: Originally ''semisixths'', but after it was decided that ''bi-'' or ''semi-'' should be half for periods and ''hemi-'' should be half for generators, that was contracted to ''sensi''.<ref>[https://yahootuninggroupsultimatebackup.github.io/tuning/topicId_97722.html#97733 ''Temperament names''] "The idea here is to use 'hemi' only when the generator is split in | : Originally ''semisixths'', but after it was decided that ''bi-'' or ''semi-'' should be half for periods and ''hemi-'' should be half for generators, that was contracted to ''sensi''.<ref>[https://yahootuninggroupsultimatebackup.github.io/tuning/topicId_97722.html#97733 ''Temperament names''] "The idea here is to use 'hemi' only when the generator is split in [two], not when the period is split in two." —Gene Ward Smith</ref> | ||
: | : As for ''sensipent'', when Paul released his Middle Path paper, he introduced a naming pattern whereby certain<ref>[https://yahootuninggroupsultimatebackup.github.io/tuning/topicId_97783.html#98172 Yahoo! Tuning Group | ''A short recording of a semi-improvized 3D comma pump'' - "The 'sept'/'pent' distinction was according to a rule I never agreed with. I think it was that the TOP tunings had to be the same for the name to be the same. Gene [Ward Smith] ignores it. I don't care much either way for established names, but I may have to keep "Sensisept" because it exists in a higher limit. I can see the rule makes some sense if we're talking about temperaments, as I understand them. The existence of the rule may indicate Paul [Erlich] was understanding temperaments [sic] a similar way. But as I understand temperament classes (which is similar to how others understand regular temperaments) the tuning is allowed to vary over a wide range. There are subjective rules I follow when I share names over different limits and we can talk about individual cases if you like. I don't have a fixed definition, or deterministic algorithm, for deciding if two things in different limits are the same, and I don't want one." —Graham Breed]</ref> 7-limit extensions to 5-limit temperaments were required to have the same name, except for being suffixed with the numeric prefix ''-sept'' instead of the numeric prefix ''-pent''. This applied to three pairs of temperaments: | ||
:* ''diminished'', which became ''dimipent'' and ''dimisept'', | |||
:* ''sensi'', which became ''sensipent'' and ''sensisept'', and | |||
:* ''negri'', which became ''negripent'' and ''negrisept''. | |||
: This naming system was unpopular,<ref>[https://yahootuninggroupsultimatebackup.github.io/tuning-math/topicId_10620#10640 Yahoo! Tuning Group | ''Gene's mail server''] - "Anyway, since these names are so ugly, does ''anyone'' have suggestions for renaming them (Dimipent, Dimisept, Negripent, Negrisept, Sensipent, Sensisept) that preserves their approximate alphabetical location?" —Paul Erlich</ref><ref>[https://yahootuninggroupsultimatebackup.github.io/tuning-math/topicId_12957 Yahoo! Tuning Group | ''98 named 7-limit temperaments''] - Shows that there was some support for the ''-sept'' prefix from Gene Ward Smith still at this time.</ref> and did not catch on.<ref>[https://yahootuninggroupsultimatebackup.github.io/tuning/topicId_104603#104603 Yahoo! Tuning Group | ''Subgroup temperament naming''] - "The thing we're doing now is analogous to Paul [Erlich]'s having different names for 'negripent' and 'negrisept' and such, which also didn't catch on." —Mike Battaglia</ref> In the case of diminished and negri, both the ''-pent'' and ''-sept'' suffixes fell out of use, and the modern convention of giving canonical extensions the exact same name (distinguishing them as necessary with ''septimal'', etc.) was adopted instead, so both the 5-limit and 7-limit were called ''diminished'' and ''negri'', respectively. For sensi, however, it became the name for the 7-limit temperament, while ''sensipent'' stuck as a name for the 5-limit temperament due to the temperaments' significantly higher accuracy. This originally 5-limit-specific name also became the name for its entire temperament family. | |||
; [[Slendric]] | ; [[Slendric]] | ||
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; [[Whitewood]] | ; [[Whitewood]] | ||
: Origin: Mike Battaglia (2010) | : Origin: Mike Battaglia (2010) | ||
: Meaning: Black keys are to Blackwood as white keys are to Whitewood. | : Meaning: Black keys are to Blackwood as white keys are to Whitewood. See the temperament's dedicated page for sources. | ||
; [[Würschmidt]] | ; [[Würschmidt]] | ||
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* [[Acronyms]] | * [[Acronyms]] | ||
== | == References == | ||
[[Category:Temperament naming| ]] <!-- main article --> | [[Category:Temperament naming| ]] <!-- main article --> | ||