Enharmonian

Enharmonian is a rarely used noun in music theory, sometimes employed to denote a person who studies or advocates enharmonics—the practice of spelling pitches in ways that reflect their theoretical function rather than their absolute pitch. The more common adjective is enharmonic, used to describe pitches that are spelled differently but sound the same in a given tuning. The term enharmonian appears in older theoretical writings and in some discussions of microtonal or historical topics to refer to theorists focused on enharmonic spellings or on systems that distinguish enharmonic pitches.

Etymology and usage: the word derives from Greek harmonia with the prefix en-, meaning “in” or “within,” and the suffix -ian forming a noun for a person associated with the concept. In practice, the concept rests on the distinction between a pitch’s sounding frequency and its spelling, which signals its harmonic function, scale degree, or modulation path.

In standard 12-tone equal temperament, enharmonic spellings such as C-sharp and D-flat refer to the same pitch, so they are enharmonic equivalents and the spelling choice can influence musical context, such as key signatures and voice-leading. In tuning systems that distinguish between pitches more finely, such as meantone or just intonation, enharmonic spellings can denote distinct pitches, preserving historical distinctions and affecting modulation options.

Historically, enharmonics played a larger role in 16th–18th century theory and in debates about temperaments. In modern usage, the noun enharmonian remains rare, with most discussions using the adjective enharmonic or referring to a theorist without adopting a distinct demonym.