‖ diesis
(ˈdaɪɪsɪs)
Pl. dieses (-iːz).
[a. L. diesis, Gr. δίεσις a quarter-tone, lit. a sending through or apart, f. δι{giuml}έναι to send through, f. διά through + ἱέναι to send.]
1. Mus. a. In ancient Greek music, a name given to several different intervals smaller than a tone; esp. the Pythagorean semitone, equal to the difference between two major tones and a perfect fourth (ratio 243:256). b. In modern music, the interval equal to the difference between three major thirds and an octave, or between the chromatic and diatonic semitones (ratio 125:128); usually called enharmonic diesis.
| 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xix. cxxxi. (1495) 941 Diesis is the space and doynge of melodye and chaungynge out of one sowne in to a nother. 1597 Morley Introd. Mus. Annot., Diesis is the halfe of the lesse halfe note. 1694 Holder Harmony (1731) 121 The Ditone, made by these two Degrees, is too much by a Diesis (128 to 125). a 1734 North Lives (1826) II. 210 He makes great ado about dividing tones major, tones minor, dieses and commas. 1867 Macfarren Harmony i. 8 The effect of the Enharmonic diesis is employed by no means rarely in..musical performances. |
2. Printing. The sign {ddag}, usually called ‘double dagger’.
[Formerly used to denote a diesis in Music: cf. 1727–51 Chambers Cycl. s.v., ‘The chromatic, or double diesis, denoted by a double cross.’ In French, the sign of the ‘sharp’ {sharp} is called dièse.]
| 1706 Phillips (ed. Kersey), Diesis..among Printers it is taken for a Mark, otherwise call'd a Double-dagger {ddag}. 1874 Knight Dict. Mech. I. 701/1 Diesis (Printing), the double dagger ({ddag}), a reference-mark. |