Editing Tuplet (section)

==Terminology==
The modern term 'tuplet' comes from a [[rebracketing]] of compound words like quintu(s)-(u)plet and sextu(s)-(u)plet, and from related mathematical terms such as "[[tuple]]", "-uplet" and "-plet", which are used to form terms denoting [[multiplet]]s (''Oxford English Dictionary'', entries "multiplet", "-plet, ''comb. form''", "-let, ''suffix''", and "-et, ''suffix''<sup>1</sup>"). An alternative modern term, "irrational rhythm", was originally borrowed from Greek [[Meter (poetry)|prosody]] where it referred to "a syllable having a metrical value not corresponding to its actual time-value, or ... a metrical foot containing such a syllable" (''Oxford English Dictionary'', entry "irrational"). The term would be incorrect if used in the [[irrational number|mathematical sense]] (because the note-values are [[rational number|rational]] fractions) or in the more general sense of "unreasonable, utterly illogical, absurd".

Alternative terms found occasionally are "artificial division",{{sfn|Jones|1974|loc=19}} "abnormal divisions",{{sfn|Donato|1963|loc=34}} "irregular rhythm",{{sfn|Read|1964|loc=181}} and "irregular rhythmic groupings".{{sfn|Kennedy|1994}} The term "[[polyrhythm]]" (or "polymeter"), sometimes incorrectly used instead of "tuplets", actually refers to the simultaneous use of opposing time signatures.{{sfn|Read|1964|loc=167}}

Besides "triplet", the terms "duplet", "quadruplet", "quintuplet", "sextuplet", "septuplet", and "octuplet" are used frequently. The terms "nonuplet", "decuplet", "undecuplet", "dodecuplet", and "tredecuplet" had been suggested but up until 1925 had not caught on.{{sfn|Dunstan|1925|p={{Page needed|date=September 2013}}}} By 1964 the terms "nonuplet" and "decuplet" were usual, while subdivisions by greater numbers were more commonly described as "group of eleven notes", "group of twelve notes", and so on.{{sfn|Read|1964|loc=189}}