duizend

Duizend is the Dutch word for the cardinal number 1000. It is used as a noun or as a determiner before a noun, in expressions such as duizend euro or duizend mensen. In compound numbers the form is usually written as one word, for example tweeduizend for 2000 and veertigduizend for 40,000.

Etymology: Duizend is cognate with German Tausend and English thousand, all deriving from a common Proto-Germanic root for the numeral thousand. The Dutch form appears in Middle Dutch and has remained the standard term in modern Dutch.

Usage and nuance: The word can take plural or collective senses; duizend and duizend-tal are used in various contexts to indicate large quantities. The plural form duizenden or duizendtallen may appear when referring to thousands in a non-specific sense. A few thousand is rendered as een paar duizend. Duizend is also a common component of idioms and literary titles, such as Duizend-en-één-nacht, the Dutch title of One Thousand and One Nights.

Cultural references and contexts: In financial, statistical, and everyday language, duizend is used to denote thousands, as in bedragen in duizendtallen or prijzen van duizenden euro’s. It also appears in literature, music, and media as part of titles or expressions that evoke large quantities.

See also: Numbers in Dutch, Tausend (German), Thousand (English).