contingenten

Contingenten is a plural noun used in Dutch, and in related Germanic contexts, to denote either a group assigned to a task or a portion allocated for a purpose. In Dutch, contingenten commonly refer to a national contingent—the personnel contributed by a country for a mission—and to quotas or allocations of goods or services within a given period. In German contexts, the cognate Kontingente carries similar senses, including military contingents and trade quotas.

Usage is broad: a national contingent may participate in international peacekeeping; a government may set import contingents for a commodity; a sporting or cultural event may field a contingent of athletes or performers representing a country.

Etymology: The word derives from the French contingent, which itself traces to Latin contingere, meaning “to touch, happen.” In Dutch, the standard plural form is contingenten, following regular -en pluralization, while German uses Kontingente as the plural.

See also: Contingent (disambiguation).