Emily Dickinson Lexicon

SEV'EN, a. [sev'n; Sax. seofa, seofan; Goth. sibun; D. zeeven; G. sieben; Sw. siu; Dan. syv; L. septem; whence Fr. sept, It. sette, Sp. siete, (or the two latter are the W. saith, Arm. saith or seiz;) Sans. sapta; Pers. هَفتْ haft; Zend. hapte, Pehlavi, haft; Gr. επτα; Ar. سَبَعَ saba; Heb. Ch. Syr. and Eth. שבע. In Ch. and Syr. סבע signifies to fill, to satisfy; in Ar. seven, and to make the number seven. In Heb. and Ch. שבע is seven; Ar. شَبِعَ‎‎ shabia, to fill. With this orthography coincides the spelling of the Teutonic and Gothic words, whose elements are Sb, or their cognates. But the Latin and Sanscrit have a third radical letter, as has the Persic, viz. t, and these coincide with the Ar. سَبَتَ sabata, to observe the sabbath, to rest, Heb. Ch. and Syr. שבת. It is obvious then that seven had its origin in these verbs, and if the Persic and Greek words are from the same source, which is very probable, we have satisfactory evidence that the sibilant letter s has been changed into an aspirate. And this confirms my opinion that a similar change has taken place in the Gr. ἁλς, salt, W. halen, and in many other words.]

Four and three; one more than six or less than eight. Seven days constitute a week. We read in Scripture of seven years of plenty, and seven years of famine, seven trumpets, seven seals, seven vials, &c.