sesquialteraadj.n.
/sɛskwɪˈaltərə/ a. = sesquialter adj. Also as n., a sesquialteral proportion. Obsolete.
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the world > relative properties > number > ratio or proportion > [adjective] > multiple > fractional or mixed > particular
sesquialter1570
sesquitertia1597
sesquialteral1603
sesquioctave1603
sesquitertial1603
sesquitertian1603
sesquialtera1609
sesquialterate1609
sesquialteran1653
sescuple1694
sesquitertianal1704
sesquibitertial1705
sesquidecimal1705
sesquioctaval1705
sesquiquartal1705
sesquiquartan1715
sesquiseptimal1726
sesquiduplicate1775
sesquinonal1776
sesquiduple1850
1609 J. Dowland tr. A. Ornithoparchus Micrologus 62 Now as of Duples you make Sesquialteraes, so of Triples you may make sesquitertiaes.
1650 J. Bulwer Anthropometamorphosis 150 If you onely contemplate the Diameters of longitude and latitude of a mans Face, you shall find a Sesquialtera proportion.
b. Music. (See quots. and cf. sesqui- comb. form 2b.)
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society > leisure > the arts > music > musical sound > duration of notes > proportion of notes or rhythm > [adjective] > specific proportion
sesquialtera?1553
sesquiquarta1597
sesquitertia1597
sesquitertial1603
sesquialter1664
sescuple1774
sesquialterate1776
?1553 (c1501) G. Douglas Palice of Honour (London) i. l. 495 in Shorter Poems (1967) 38 Proportionis..Duplat, triplat, diatesseriall, Sesque altra [1579 Edinb. Seque altera], and decupla resortis.
1597 T. Morley Plaine & Easie Introd. Musicke 32 Phi. Come then to Sesquialtera, what is it? Ma. It is when three notes are sung to two of the same kinde.
1597 T. Morley Plaine & Easie Introd. Musicke 92 The manner of singing Sesquialtra proportion.
1667 C. Simpson Compend. Pract. Musick 34 Figures set thus 3/ 2 called Sesquialtera proportion, which signifies a Tripla Measure of three Notes to two such like Notes of the Common Time.
1776 J. Hawkins Gen. Hist. Music I. 67 If the fourth chord was to be..sesquialtera.
1883 W. S. Rockstro in Grove Dict. Music III. 475/1 Sesquialtera expresses the Proportion of two to three, and therefore represents the Perfect Fifth, which is produced by sounding two-thirds of a given string.
1883 W. S. Rockstro in Grove Dict. Music III. 475/1 In rhythmic combinations, Sesquialtera is used as the general symbol of Triple Time. The term Sesquialtera is also applied to passages of three notes sung against two.
2. The name of an organ stop, consisting of several ranks of pipes, of a brilliant tone. Usually absol. as n.
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society > leisure > the arts > music > musical instrument > keyboard instrument > organ > [noun] > stop > mixture-stops > specific
cornet1660
clarionc1670
sesquialtera1688
sesquialter1841
cymbal1852
harmonica1852
plein jeu1855
sext1855
fourniture1876
rauschpfeife1876
tertian1876
zimbel1888
cornet-stop-
1688 in E. J. Hopkins Organ (1870) 453 Ecchos... Sesquialtera..105 pipes.
1786 T. Busby Compl. Dict. Music at Stop Sesquialtera Stop, a mixed stop running through the scale of the instrument, and consisting of three, four, and sometimes five ranks of pipes, tuned in thirds, fifths, and eights.
1798 E. Hargrove Hist. Knaresborough (ed. 5) 53 The organ hath ten stops, viz. two diapasons,..one susquialtra [etc.].
1883 J. Stainer in G. Grove Dict. Music III. 475/1 The Sesquialtera organ stop.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1912; most recently modified version published online June 2021).
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adj.n.?1553