Settima

Settima is the feminine form of settimo, meaning seventh in Italian. It is used to designate the seventh item in a sequence and appears in phrases such as la settima pagina or la settima stagione. In music theory, settima denotes a specific interval between two notes that spans seven diatonic scale degrees.

The most common forms are la settima maggiore and la settima minore. The major seventh interval, as in C to B, comprises 11 semitones; the minor seventh, as in C to Bb, comprises 10 semitones. In tonal harmony, the term is also used in the name of chords, notably la settima di dominante, the dominant seventh chord (for example G7 in the key of C major), which uses a minor seventh above the root to create a strong resolution to the tonic. Other theoretical varieties include la settima diminuita and la settima aumentata, which arise in advanced notation and are defined by alterations to the standard seventh.

In addition to its musical sense, settima functions as a general ordinal in Italian, indicating the seventh item in a series or order. The term appears across linguistic and theoretical contexts, reflecting its role in both language and music.