[Late L., a. Gr. λεῖμμα remnant, part left, semitone, f. λεῖπειν to leave.]
1. Mus. The semitone of the Pythagorean scale (see quot. 1694).
1694. W. Holder, Harmony, vi. 152. The Pythagoreans, not using Tone Minor, but two Equal Tones Major, in a Fourth, were forced to take a lesser Interval for the Hemitone; which is call’d their Limma, or Pythagorean Hemitone; and, which added to those two Tones, makes up the Fourth; it is a Comma less than Hemitone Major (16 to 15) and the Ration of it, is 256 to 243.
1887. W. S. Rockstro, in Grove’s Dict. Mus., IV. 503. The Ditonic Diatonic Tetrachord, consisting of two greater Tones and a Limma, as set forth by Pythagoras.
2. Gr. Pros. A time or mora in a line required by the rhythm but not expressed by a syllable in the words: indicated in schemes by the sign Λ.
