set

set¹ seven

Etymology tree of set¹

inherited borrowed derived

Latin septem

Catalan set

French sept

Italian sette

Romanian șapte

Spanish siete

From the same root · set¹

Latin September ← septem

Latin septendecim ← septem

Latin septentrio ← septem

Latin septenus ← septem

Latin septies ← septem

Latin septingenti ← septem

Pronunciation

• Northern: [ˈse̞t]^[1]
• Balearic, Central, Northwestern, Valencia: [ˈsɛt]^[1]

Forms

set m or f^[1] The numeral is sèt with open /ɛ/ everywhere, from Tavascan to Alacant, the Balearics and Alghero.^[2]

Etymology

The word for seven is inherited from Latin septem (“seven”).^{[2][3][4][5][1]} The same Latin word is Occitan sèt, Spanish siete, Portuguese sete, Italian sette, French sept and Romanian șapte.^[6]

The Latin numeral goes back through *septəm to *septḿ̥, which also gave Ancient Greek ἑπτά (heptá) and Sanskrit सप्त (saptá).^[7][1]

The word is pronounced with open /ɛ/ throughout the language area, although the Latin short ⟨e⟩ otherwise gives different vowels in the different dialects.^[2] Fabra thought of an effect of the following -pt-, and Kuen of the influence of deu.^[2] Coromines rejects both and points to similar anomalies in tretze, dos and setze.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Coromines dates the numeral from the origins of the language.^[2] The CICA corpus has its earliest occurrence in a 12th-century text, the complaints of the men of Sant Pere de Graudescale.^[8]

Semantic evolution

Llull uses it in the religious sevens: the seven sacraments, the seven virtues, the seven deadly sins and the seven planets.^[9][2] Labèrnia's dictionary of 1839 gives the numeral, the ordinal use “seventh”, the figure 7 and the playing card.^[10] The DCVB and Pal·las add an angular tear in a garment, named after the shape of the figure.^[3][11]

Timeline

• 12th century – the earliest occurrence in the CICA corpus.^[8]
• Late 13th century – los set peccats mortals in Llull's Blanquerna.^[9][2]
• 1839 – Labèrnia's dictionary, with the figure and the playing card.^[10]

Meanings

Numeral

1. seven, six plus one: Fa set anys que hi viuen.^[5][3][1]
2. Seventh, in a series: la planta set.^[5]

Noun

1. The number or figure seven; a card or other thing marked with it.^[5][3][10]
2. An L-shaped tear in a garment.^[5][3]

Word family

• setanta
• setè
• setembre
• setmana

set² thirst

Etymology tree of set²

inherited borrowed derived

Latin sitis

Catalan set

Italian sete

Romanian sete

From the same root · set²

Latin sitiō ← sitis

Pronunciation

• Northern: [ˈse̞t]^[1]
• Balearic: [ˈsət]^[1]
• Central: [ˈsɛt]^[1]
• Northwestern, Valencia: [ˈset]^[1]

Forms

set f (plural sets)^[1] The word is sèt in Eastern Catalan, sət in the Balearics and sét with close /e/ in Valencian and Western Catalan.^[12][3]

Etymology

The word for thirst is inherited from Latin sitis (“thirst”).^{[12][3][4][5][1]} The same Latin word is Occitan set, Spanish sed, Portuguese sede, Italian sete, Old French soi and Romanian sete.^[13]

The Latin noun is from *(k)sitis, which de Vaan derives from *dʰgʷʰítis (“destruction, perishing”); the initial cluster was metathesised before Italic and gave Latin /s/.^[7][1] It is related to Ancient Greek φθίνω (phthínō, “to waste away”).^[7]

Coromines notes that the Valencian pronunciation with close /e/ rules out the derivation Barnils had proposed.^[12]

Earliest recorded meaning

Coromines's first record is in Llull.^[12] In the Llibre de contemplació Llull speaks of the hunger and thirst, pains and shame that are found where God is sought.^[9] In Blanquerna a canon cries out fam so that others may hunger and thirst for the love of God.^[12]

Semantic evolution

Already in Llull the word also means a strong longing.^[9] The phrase no donar una set d'aigua “not to give a drop of water”, said of a miser, is in Vicent Ferrer's sermons and still alive in Central Catalan and Valencian.^[12] Martí Gadea in 1891 gives the land's need of water and fer set “to work up a thirst”.^[14] Fabra has guardar una poma per a la set, to keep something in reserve for a time of need.^[15]

The derivatives sedejar and sedejant are in Llull, assedegat from about 1400.^[12][4]

Timeline

• Late 13th century – fams e sets in Llull's Llibre de contemplació.^[9]
• 1381 – dar a beure als qui han set in the Doctrina compendiosa.^[16]
• 1891 – Martí Gadea's dictionary, with fer set.^[14]
• 1932 – Fabra's dictionary, with guardar una poma per a la set.^[15]

Meanings

Noun

1. thirst, the need to drink, felt as dryness in the mouth and throat: Després de la caminada teníem una set terrible.^[17][5][1]
2. The need of water of land or plants.^[17][3]
3. (figurative) A burning, impatient desire: una set de coneixement.^[17][5]

Word family

• assedegar
• assedegat
• sedegar
• sedegós
• sedejar