A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Semiminima
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SEMIMINIMA Major and Minor (Eng. Greater, and Lesser Half-Minim = Crotchet, and Quaver; Ital. Croma e Semicroma; Germ. Viertel und Achtel; French Noire et Croche). Though the Minim was so called, because, at the time of its invention, it was the smallest (i.e. the shortest) of all notes, Composers soon found it convenient to divide it in half, and even into four parts. Franchinus Gafurius, quoting from Prosdocimus de Beldemandis, describes and figures these divisions in his 'Practica Musicæ,' printed in 1496. The Greater Semiminima, the equivalent of the modern Crotchet, was a black lozenge-headed note, with a tail, 
; the Lesser Semiminima, now called the Quaver, was a similar note, with a single hook, 
. Sometimes the head of the greater Semiminim was 'void'—that is to say, open, or white—in which case, this note also had a hook, to distinguish it from the Minim, 
; and, when this hooked form was used, the figure which we have described above as proper to the Greater Semiminim, was used for the Lesser one. When black and red notes were used together, the red Minim served as the diminutive of the black one; and the Semiminim was called Chroma, on account of its colour. This name was afterwards applied both to the Greater and the Lesser Semiminim; and hence it came to pass that, in later times, the term Chroma was applied indiscriminately to the Crotchet and the Quaver. [See Semichroma, Notation.]
; the Lesser Semiminima, now called the Quaver, was a similar note, with a single hook, 
. Sometimes the head of the greater Semiminim was 'void'—that is to say, open, or white—in which case, this note also had a hook, to distinguish it from the Minim, 
; and, when this hooked form was used, the figure which we have described above as proper to the Greater Semiminim, was used for the Lesser one. When black and red notes were used together, the red Minim served as the diminutive of the black one; and the Semiminim was called Chroma, on account of its colour. This name was afterwards applied both to the Greater and the Lesser Semiminim; and hence it came to pass that, in later times, the term Chroma was applied indiscriminately to the Crotchet and the Quaver. [See Semichroma, Notation.]
[ W. S. R. ]