noun
- Plural of neum; symbols used in medieval musical notation to indicate pitch and duration of notes in liturgical chant.
Usage: Also spelled 'neumes'; Primarily used in musicology and liturgical studies; Historical/archaic in general usage
Examples
- Medieval manuscripts contain neums that guided singers through Gregorian chant.
- The neums in this 10th-century codex show how monks notated sacred music.
- Scholars study neums to understand the performance practice of early Christian liturgy.
- The square neums used in later medieval notation were easier to read than earlier forms.