septenary en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
- /sɛpˈtiːnəɹi/ (UK)
Etymology
From Middle English septenarie, septenary, from Classical Latin septēnārius (“consisting of seven each”), from septēnus (“seven each; seven at a time”) + -ārius (whence the English suffix -ary). With use as noun compare septēnārius (“line of seven feet; unit of seven parts; period of seven years”). By surface analysis, septen- + -ary. Doublet of septenar and septenarius.
Meanings
- (not-comparable) Consisting of or containing seven.
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(not-comparable) Of seventh rank or order.
... indeed if further evidence than that of bestial and savage counting were required to show that finger-numeration and the quinary system were not primeval, it would be afforded by the development of the senary-septenary system in so many lands.
1899 October, W J McGee, “The Beginning of Mathematics”, in American Anthropologist, 1(4), page 657:
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(not-comparable) Lasting seven years; continuing seven years.
Septenary penance.
1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=I to XI):
Relateds
binary (Of seventh rank or order.) · ternary (Lasting seven years; continuing seven years.) · duodenary · quinary · nonary · primary (1st) · octonary · quaternary · senary · vigenary · tertiary (3rd) · unary (Consisting of or containing seven.) · denary · secondary (2nd)
Synonyms
Translations (4)
ca septenària (of seventh rank or order) · ru семеричный (of seventh rank or order) · bg седми (of seventh rank or order) · ca septenari (of seventh rank or order)