Semibreve

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A musical note, typically lasting for four beats in common time, represented in notation as a hollow oval shape without a stem
2. A duration in music that signifies a long tone, encompassing four beats in a measure
3. An essential element in musical notation symbolizing a sustained sound, often marking the length of a whole measure in standard practices

Etymology: The semibreve is the longest note in common use in modern notation, yet its name says it is "half short." The explanation lies in the older system of note values. Medieval notation began with the "brevis" (short), and the longer "longa" (long) and "maxima" were built from it. Relative to that short, the whole note was a "semibrevis," a half-short, so the name reflected its place in a hierarchy that treated the brevis as the basic unit rather than the note we now count as the basic unit. The word reached English through Italian "semibreve," itself built from Latin "semi-" (half) and "brevis" (short). Its meaning survived the notational system that gave it birth. Today a semibreve lasts four beats in common time, so the name describes a note that is anything but short.