Glossary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Antiphon | Relatively short chant sung in the Liturgy of the Hours, in the Mass (Introit, Communion), during processions and other liturgical actions. It is usually associated with a psalm or biblical canticle |
| Antiphonary | Collection of melodies for antiphons, responsories, and versicles |
| Beneventan chant | Monophonic liturgical chant of the Beneventan rite (7th–8th century) |
| Beneventan notation | Neumatic notation system with or without staff lines |
| Breviary | Collection of texts necessary for the Liturgy of the Hours |
| Diastematic | Musical notation system indicating pitch relationships |
| Evangelary | Collection of Gospel readings for liturgical proclamation |
| Formulary | The set of readings, prayers, chants, and rubrics associated with a specific liturgical day |
| Gradual | Book containing the chants of the Proper of the Mass or an interlectional chant |
| Homiliary | Collection of sermons and biblical commentaries |
| Hymn | Poetic composition |
| Hymnal | Book containing hymns for the Liturgy of the Hours |
| Introit | Entrance chant of the Mass with antiphon and psalm |
| Kyriale | Collection of chants of the Ordinarium Missae (Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, Agnus Dei, Credo) |
| Lectionary | Collection of Mass readings organized according to liturgical formularies |
| Liber ordinarius | Description of the liturgical celebrations of a local church |
| Litany | A series of invocations to God, through Christ, with intercession of the Virgin Mary and the Saints |
| Martyrology | Book listing saints for each day of the year |
| Melisma | Series of multiple notes sung on a single syllable |
| Missal | Comprehensive book containing all texts necessary for the celebration of Mass |
| Mutilated manuscript | Incomplete manuscript lacking one or more essential parts |
| Necrology | List of the deceased to be commemorated |
| Neume | Symbol used in musical notation to indicate sounds |
| Officium | Latin term that may refer to rite, office, or Introit of the Mass |
| Ordinarium Missae | Fixed chants of the Mass (Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei) |
| Parchment | Referring to parchment as a writing material |
| Pars hiemalis | Part of the Divine Office corresponding to the winter period |
| Pontifical | Book containing rites presided over by the bishop |
| Prayer | Prayer included within liturgical actions |
| Processional | Collection of chants for processions |
| Proprium Missae | Variable chants and texts of the Mass |
| Prosary | Collection containing prosulae or sequences |
| Psalm | Singing of psalms according to psalm tones |
| Psalm tone | Melodic structure applied to psalms |
| Responsory | Chant that usually follows a reading, consisting of a response and one or more verses. In some cases, the repetition (repetenda) follows the verse |
| Rule | Set of norms regulating liturgical life |
| Sacramentary | Collection of presidential prayers of the Mass |
| Sanctoral | Section of a liturgical book containing the cycle of saints’ feasts |
| Sequence | Strophic chant functioning as an extension of the Alleluia in the Mass |
| Sequentiary | Collection of sequences organized according to the liturgical year |
| Temporal | Cycle of the principal liturgical celebrations of the year |
| Tonary | Guide for singers with psalm tones and melodies |
| Tract | Interlectional chant of the Mass |
| Troparium | Collection of tropes related to chants of the Mass |
| Trope | Expansion of a liturgical chant. In medieval music theory, this term (tropus) also referred to transposition tones or the Greek term tropos |
| Versicle | Short phrase followed by a response |