The Seven Seas

No. “The seven seas” is a ancient figurative phrase used to represent travels into the unknown or to faraway lands.

The earliest references are found several thousand years BC. Here’s an example from Sumeria in 2300BC.

I am the queen of the heavenly sea and the earthly sea,
I cross the seven rivers like a bird on the wing,
I bring the light to the lands beyond the seven seas.

Today, it’s most often used to refer to:

1. Arctic Ocean
2. North Atlantic Ocean
3. South Atlantic Ocean
4. Indian Ocean
5. North Pacific Ocean
6. South Pacific Ocean
7. Antarctic Ocean

However, there is no canonical definition. The phrase has been used by many cultures to refer to different combinations of bodies of water.

Postscript

I was listing to a song that mentioned “across the seven seas,” and I got to wondering if there was a formal definition.