SAY (5)

Say, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Said (sĕd), contracted from sayed; p. pr. & vb. n. Saying.] [[OE. seggen, seyen, siggen, sayen, sayn, AS. secgan; akin to OS. seggian, D. zeggen, LG. seggen, OHG. sagēn, G. sagen, Icel. segja, Sw. säga, Dan. sige, Lith. sakyti; cf. OL. insece tell, relate, Gr. ἔννεπε (for εν̓-σεπε), ἔσπετε. Cf. Saga, Saw a saying.]] 1. 1. To utter or express in words; to tell; to speak; to declare; as, he said many wise things.
Arise, and say how thou camest here. Shak. 2. 2. To repeat; to rehearse; to recite; to pronounce; as, to say a lesson.
Of my instruction hast thou nothing bated In what thou hadst to say? Shak. After which shall be said or sung the following hymn. Bk. of Com. Prayer. 3. 3. To announce as a decision or opinion; to state positively; to assert; hence, to form an opinion upon; to be sure about; to be determined in mind as to.
But what it is, hard is to say. Milton. 4. 4. To mention or suggest as an estimate, hypothesis, or approximation; hence, to suppose; — in the imperative, followed sometimes by the subjunctive; as, he had, say fifty thousand dollars; the fox had run, say ten miles.
Say, for nonpayment that the debt should double, Is twenty hundred kisses such a trouble? Shak. It is said, or They say, it is commonly reported; it is rumored; people assert or maintain. — That is to say, that is; in other words; otherwise.