docenas

Docenas is the Spanish plural form of the noun docena, meaning a group or set of twelve items. The singular docena refers to a dozen, while docenas denotes multiple dozens. In Spanish-speaking countries, the term is a common unit for counting items that are typically sold or grouped in twelves, such as eggs, pastries, bottles, and other goods.

Etymology and related terms: docena derives from doce, twelve, with the noun-forming suffix -ena, tracing back to Latin duodecim through the Romance languages. The concept parallels the English word dozen and the French douzaine, but the Iberian form developed independently within Spanish.

Usage and variations: A docena is usually a precise quantity of twelve. Expressions include una docena, dos docenas, and media docena for six items (half a dozen). People may also say una docena y media for eighteen. In commerce and menus, docenas help standardize orders and pricing, especially for products commonly sold in groups of twelve.

Cultural context and distinctions: The docena remains a widespread unit in Spanish-speaking markets and households, reflecting the broader, base-12 counting tradition found in many cultures. While the exact word differs by language, the underlying idea—counting items in groups of twelve—occurs globally, with equivalents such as dozen in English and douzaine in French. See also: Dozen, Duodecimal systems.