sept French · revision 17018

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 10th century, Passion de Clermont|origins=la septem}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /sɛt/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''sept''' (invariable)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French ''sep'' (about 980) and ''set'' (about 1050); ''sept'' is a spelling remade after the Latin word, from the end of the 12th century.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|set]], [[inh|la|septem|t=seven]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|11, 478b)^(Wiktionary) The ⟨p⟩ is an etymological spelling and has never been pronounced.^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Littré 1873) The Latin word has exact counterparts in [[grc|ἑπτά|tr=heptá]], [[sa|सप्त|tr=saptá]] and [[sga|secht]];^(DHLF 1992) Wiktionary traces it to [[ine-pro|*septḿ̥]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|sette]], [[oc|set]], [[ca|set]], [[es|siete]], [[pt|sete]] and [[ro|șapte]].^(REW 1935)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The Clermont ''Passion'' (late 10th century) has the cardinal ''sep''; the ''Vie de saint Alexis'' (about 1050) has ''dis e set anz'' “seventeen years”.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the 12th century the number appears in phrases with a symbolic value, such as ''les Sept Sages de Rome'', the seven sacraments and the Seven Wonders of the World; it combines with other numerals from 1273.^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) As a noun it names the number (1580, Palissy), a throw at dice (1663–64, Boileau) and a playing card (1694, Académie).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) In the classical language ''être dans son sept'' meant to be in the seventh month of pregnancy or on the seventh day of an illness (Académie, 1718 and 1740).^(DHLF 1992)^(BHVF) Its ordinal use, ''Charles sept'', and ''le sept du mois'' are recorded from 1718.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 10th century – ''Sep'' in the Clermont ''Passion''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1050 – ''Set'' in the ''Vie de saint Alexis''.^(TLFi)

+ * Late 12th century – The spelling ''sept''.^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1580 – Used as a noun, the number seven, by Palissy.^(TLFi)

+ * 1694 – The Académie records the playing card.^(TLFi)^(BHVF)

+ * 1718 – Ordinal use (''Charles sept'') and ''le sept du mois''.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Numeral===

+ # [[m|en|seven]]: ''les sept jours de la semaine'', ''sept cents''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Seventh, in dates and the names of rulers: ''le sept mai'', ''Charles VII''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # The number seven; the figure 7.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # A playing [[m|en|card]] with seven pips: ''le sept de cœur''.^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[septième]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[septembre]]

+ * [[septante]]

+ * [[la|septem]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Before a consonant the final /t/ was formerly silent (''sè livres''), as Littré still records; it is now pronounced in all positions, which keeps ''sept'' apart from ''ses'' and ''ces''.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}