entry
seven
/ˈsɛvən/The natural number following six and preceding eight
From Proto-Indo-European seven (seven).
from PIE *septm "seven" (source also of Sanskrit sapta , Avestan hapta , Hittite shipta , Greek hepta , Latin septem ,...
+1 more sourcefrom Proto-Germanic *sebun (source also of Old Saxon sibun , Old Norse sjau , Swedish sju , Danish syv , Old Frisian...
+1 more sourcefrom Old English seofon (“seven”)
from Middle English seven
Word Ancestry
from PIE *septm "seven" (source also of Sanskrit sapta , Avestan hapta , Hittite shipta , Greek hepta , Latin septem ,...
+1 more sourcefrom Proto-Germanic *sebun (source also of Old Saxon sibun , Old Norse sjau , Swedish sju , Danish syv , Old Frisian...
+1 more sourcefrom Old English seofon (“seven”)
from Middle English seven
Across an astonishing stretch of Eurasia, people have been saying versions of the same ancient number for thousands of years: Latin had septem, Greek had heptá, Sanskrit had sapta, and English eventually settled on seven. The Germanic ancestors softened and rearranged the older consonants into *sebun, which became Old English seofon before Middle English trimmed it into something recognizable. Seven acquired a glamorous reputation early, turning up in the Seven Wonders, the Seven Sleepers, and the seven stars of the Pleiades. By 1579, the “seventh son” was already credited with magical or healing powers, while Shakespeare could use seven simply as a punchline in King Lear: why are the stars seven? Because they are not eight. Even September carries a fossil of the old counting system: it means “seventh month” in Latin, although calendar reforms later shoved it into ninth place.
The Story
Across an astonishing stretch of Eurasia, people have been saying versions of the same ancient number for thousands of years: Latin had septem, Greek had heptá, Sanskrit had sapta, and English eventually settled on seven. The Germanic ancestors softened and rearranged the older consonants into *sebun, which became Old English seofon before Middle English trimmed it into something recognizable. Seven acquired a glamorous reputation early, turning up in the Seven Wonders, the Seven Sleepers, and the seven stars of the Pleiades. By 1579, the “seventh son” was already credited with magical or healing powers, while Shakespeare could use seven simply as a punchline in King Lear: why are the stars seven? Because they are not eight. Even September carries a fossil of the old counting system: it means “seventh month” in Latin, although calendar reforms later shoved it into ninth place.
Modern Usage
A high-quality, stylish first name; also a humorous meme-style nickname.
Kin & Kindred
From 'seven'·seven
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Free Dictionary
Urban Dictionary
Wikipedia
Wiktionary