Xenharmonic Reference:Interval naming

Vector's proposal for comma and diesis names

On this wiki, the word "comma" in interval names is entirely interchangeable with "diesis", and serves to indicate whether the interval is tempered out or observed. For example, in a system that observes 81/80 (such as Porcupine) it should be called the syntonic diesis, and only in Meantone (or Meantone extensions) should it be called the syntonic comma or syntonisma.

"ic comma" may be abbreviated to "isma", regardless of etymology. (i.e. magic comma -> magisma)
"ty comma" may be abbreviated to "ton", regardless of etymology. (i.e. amity comma -> amiton)

This implies that, for example, the gamelisma, may be referred to as the *gamelic diesis* if it is not tempered out.

In the articles pertaining to such intervals, the "diesis" name should always be used as the page title. Information on temperament belongs on the temperament's entry in the List of regular temperaments. So, for example, the article on the gamelisma should be titled Gamelic diesis.

Comma and temperament names

Comma and temperament names should follow the pattern, for a comma name ending in -isma or -ic comma:

1. "-isma" and "-ic comma" are both valid suffixes for the comma
2. "-ic" for the temperament in the minimal prime subgroup (e.g. gamelisma -> Gamelic), meaning that the temperament name is an element of the expanded comma name. The comma of any single-comma temperament can be named from the temperament itself this way (e.g. Atomic -> atomic comma)
3. "-ismic" for the temperament in the minimal prime limit (e.g. schisma -> Schismic). Note that this usually does not overwrite the name given to the minimal subgroup temperament if the two are the same.

Temperament names are capitalized, interval names never are (even if they include proper nouns) (e.g. Archytas' comma -> archytas comma)

Irregular cases

1. The minimal subgroup temperaments for the schisma, ragisma, and kleisma are Schismic, Ragismic, and Kleismic. These are the exceptions hinted at by point 3 in the above section, and thus do not cause ambiguity since they are also the minimal prime limit temperaments. However, the exception as a whole does not apply to any other commas containing "schisma", "ragisma", or "kleisma" (e.g. parakleisma -> Parakleic).
2. The temperament name for the pythagorean comma is not "Pythagorean", but "Compton". "Compton comma"/"compton diesis" is an acceptable name for the diesis, but "pythagorean comma" is preserved for historical purposes.

Considerations

• -isma as an abbreviation for "-ic diesis" as well? At least for schisma, ragisma, kleisma to avoid having to specify "kleismic diesis" every time you want to talk about intonation if you're midnightblue
• further exceptions like schisma/ragisma/kleisma
• other patterns like -ty/-ton and -ic/-isma
• Indirectly, the current system implies that commas ending in -ma (but not -isma) with minimal subgroup temperaments ending in -mic may be re-abbreviated -misma. (e.g. dilemma -> Dilemmic -> dilemmisma). Do we keep this and formally rename all these commas? What about the rastma, where "Rastmic" is the full prime limit temperament (but people often use it to refer to the rank-2 regardless)? Do we regularize to "rastmisma", "Rastmic", "Rastmismic"? And do we further recognize -a as a valid alternative to -isma as long as it is unambiguous? (e.g. syntonoscha)?
  • Potential use of -atic here, making -atic interchangeable with -ismic (e.g. syntonoschatic) and -a interchangeable with -isma. (Avoid "-ismisma" please, we're adults.)
• Commas smaller than roughly a syntonic comma can just be called commas as opposed to dieses, regardless of function.