Septendecimal
adj ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 Relating to or based on the number 17. not-comparable
- 2 Of or relating to a seventeenth. not-comparable
"If it is desired to proceed beyond tertian to septimal harmony to introduce the harmonic form of the phord of the dominant Seventh, with the ratios 4 : 5 : 6 : 7 as Mr. Poole has done (see sect. F. No. 7), or even to septendecimal harmony to introduce the harmonic form of the chord of the minor Ninth 8 : 10 : 12 : 14 : 17 (see p. 346c, note *), the number of the notes will be nearly tripled. […] The cents in the tertian chord of the minor Ninth C E, G B♭ D¹♭ are 0, 386, 702, 996, 1200 + 112. Hence the cents in the harmonic septimal chord of tiie dominant Seventh, or C E₁ G B♭, are 0, 386, 702, 969, and the cents in the septendecimal chord of the minor Ninth, or C E₁ G ⁷B ¹⁷D¹♭, are 0, 386, 702, 969, 1200 + 105."
Example
More examples"If it is desired to proceed beyond tertian to septimal harmony to introduce the harmonic form of the phord of the dominant Seventh, with the ratios 4 : 5 : 6 : 7 as Mr. Poole has done (see sect. F. No. 7), or even to septendecimal harmony to introduce the harmonic form of the chord of the minor Ninth 8 : 10 : 12 : 14 : 17 (see p. 346c, note *), the number of the notes will be nearly tripled. […] The cents in the tertian chord of the minor Ninth C E, G B♭ D¹♭ are 0, 386, 702, 996, 1200 + 112. Hence the cents in the harmonic septimal chord of tiie dominant Seventh, or C E₁ G B♭, are 0, 386, 702, 969, and the cents in the septendecimal chord of the minor Ninth, or C E₁ G ⁷B ¹⁷D¹♭, are 0, 386, 702, 969, 1200 + 105."
Etymology
From Latin septendecim (“seventeen”) + -al, after decimal. By surface analysis, septen- + decimal.
From Latin septendecimus + -al (after English seventeenth and decimal), from septendecim (“seventeen”), after decimus (“tenth”). Compare Latin septimusdecimus (“seventeenth”). By surface analysis, septen- + decimal. Coined by English mathematician, philologist and musician Alexander John Ellis in 1885 (see the quotation).
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.