doden

Doden is a Dutch term with multiple related meanings centered on the end of life. As a verb, doden means to cause the death of a person or living being. In this sense it is used in phrases like iemand doden (to kill someone). As a noun, de dood denotes death as a concept, while de doden refers to people who have died. The adjective dode means dead, as in een dode vis.

Etymology: The Dutch forms dode, dood, and doden descend from the same Proto-Germanic root as German Tod and English death. They have cognates across Germanic languages, reflecting a common legacy for the concept of death and the act of killing.

Definitions and measurement: Medically, death is defined as the irreversible cessation of circulatory and respiratory functions, or irreversible cessation of all brain activity (brain death). Legally, death is recorded with a certificate and triggers succession rules and other administrative steps. In Dutch context, overlijden is the official term for dying in a formal sense, while dood is the everyday word for death or the dead.

Culture and society: Death is associated with rites such as funerals, cremation, or burial, and with memorial practices. In the Netherlands, Dodenherdenking (Remembrance of the Dead) is observed on May 4 to honor those who died in wars and peacekeeping missions. Mortality statistics track the number of deaths and life expectancy across populations.