Limma

The word limma or leimma (from Greek: Template:Math, 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, Template:Sfrac, a Pythagorean interval ({{#if:Pythagorean minor semitone on C.mid|{{#ifexist:Media:Pythagorean minor semitone on C.mid|<phonos file="Pythagorean minor semitone on C.mid">play</phonos>|{{errorTemplate:Main other|Audio file "Pythagorean minor semitone on C.mid" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}).

and in 5-limit tuning:

• The 5-limit diatonic semitone, Template:Sfrac ({{#if:Just diatonic semitone on C.mid|{{#ifexist:Media:Just diatonic semitone on C.mid|<phonos file="Just diatonic semitone on C.mid">play</phonos>|{{errorTemplate:Main other|Audio file "Just diatonic semitone on C.mid" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}). 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), Template:Sfrac, the amount by which three just major thirds fall short of an octave ({{#if:5-limit limma on C.mid|{{#ifexist:Media:5-limit limma on C.mid|<phonos file="5-limit limma on C.mid">play</phonos>|{{errorTemplate:Main other|Audio file "5-limit limma on C.mid" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}).

• The major limma, Template:Sfrac, which is the difference between two major whole tones and a minor third ({{#if:Greater chromatic semitone on C.mid|{{#ifexist:Media:Greater chromatic semitone on C.mid|<phonos file="Greater chromatic semitone on C.mid">play</phonos>|{{errorTemplate:Main other|Audio file "Greater chromatic semitone on C.mid" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}).

Metre

A leimma is also the name of a musical / metrical symbol (Template: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.<ref>Template:Cite dictionary</ref>

Modern equivalents are:

• a breath mark
• a comma [,]
• a [[sixteenth note|sixteenth rest (Template:Math)]] or perhaps a [[Thirty-second note|thirty-second rest (Template:Math)]]