400jarige

400jarige is a Dutch word used to describe the age of an object, structure, or institution that has existed for four hundred years. The term combines the cardinal number 400 with the suffix –jarige, which forms adjectives indicating the age of a noun. In Dutch the construction is common for expressing age; examples include 300jarige, 500jarige, and 1000jarige. The suffix attaches directly to the number with a hyphen when used attributively, as in “400-jarige kerk” (a 400‑year‑old church) or “400-jarige wandelpad” (a 400‑year‑old walking path).

Because human lifespans cannot reach 400 years, the word is not applied to people but rather to monuments, buildings, institutions, and sometimes languages. In historical and cultural contexts, 400jaren heeft een merkende invloed; it marks a milestone in a society’s evolution. The term also appears in legal language to mark the age of statutes or legislation, e.g., “400jarige wet” meaning a law that has been in force for four centuries.

Morphologically, –jarige behaves like an adjective that agrees in case, number, and gender with the noun it modifies. It can also appear nominally, producing terms such as 400jarige (the person or thing itself, a 400‑year‑old). The Dutch dictionary Dikke Van Dale records the term in its entry on ages and time expressions. The word is sometimes rendered without a hyphen in informal usage, but standard orthography prefers the hyphenated form for clarity.