Semiology (Gregorian Chant)

Semiology (Gregorian Chant)

Semiology, derived from Semeion (Greek "sign") is a branch of Gregorian Chant research. Semiology refers specifically to the study of the neumes as found in the earliest fully notated manuscripts of Gregorian Chant, the oldest of which have been dated to the 9th century. The first application of the term 'semiology' (which first appeared in the 1690s) for the study of Latin chant was made by Dom Eugene Cardine(1905–1988), a monk of the Abbey of Solesmes. In this context, 'semiology' is understood as 'the study of musical signs'. Text and neumatic notation, together with significative letters adjoined to the neumes, presents an effective and integrated mnemonic for melody.