seven
UK[ˈsev.ən]US[ˈsev.ən]
n
The number equivalent to the sum of six and one; one more than six, represented by the numeral 7.
Etymology
The word "seven" descends directly from the Old English "seofon," which itself evolved from the Proto-Germanic "sebun." This Germanic root can be traced further back to the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) "septḿ̥," the source of the number seven across many Indo-European languages, including Latin "septem" and Greek "heptá." The remarkable stability of this numeral's form over millennia highlights its fundamental role in early counting systems and cultural concepts, such as the seven-day week. Its modern English form has simplified from the Old English, but the core phonetic shape remains clearly recognizable from its ancient ancestor.
Analysis
The word is a simplex, derived from a single, indivisible root.
Examples
There are seven days in a week.
She scored seven out of ten on the test.
The recipe calls for seven large eggs.