dertiende

Dertiende is the Dutch ordinal form for the number thirteen. It is used to indicate position in a sequence or to label things that come in order, such as the thirteenth item, day, or century. In practice it appears in calendars, lists, and historical or literary texts, for example “de dertiende eeuw” (the thirteenth century) or “de dertiende dag van de maand” (the thirteenth day of the month).

Etymology and form: the word derives from the cardinal dertien (thirteen) with the standard ordinal suffix -de, yielding dertiende. This follows common Dutch patterns for ordinals of numbers beyond ten. It is distinct from tiende, which is the ordinal for ten and from tiende, the noun meaning a tenth part or tithe in historical contexts. When used with a noun, the usual construction is “de dertiende …” as in “de dertiende klas” or “de dertiende eeuw.”

Usage notes: as a general rule, dertiende is written as one word and used in contexts requiring an ordinal, whether in dates, centuries, or rankings. In date phrases you can say “de dertiende van juni” for the thirteenth of June. In reference to fractions, the thirteenth part would more commonly be described as “dertiende deel” rather than relying on a simple adjective form.

See also: Dutch ordinals such as eerste, tweede, derde, tiende; the related term tiende, meaning the tenth part or tithe in historical usage.