gebroeders

Gebroeders is a Dutch term that is used in formal, historical, or genealogical contexts to refer to brothers or to a group of male siblings. In everyday modern Dutch, the plural for brother is broers, but gebroeders appears in older texts and in compound forms, especially in names and titles.

Etymologically, gebroeders derives from older forms such as gebroeder, which are cognate with the English brethren and the German Bruder. The ge- prefix is a traditional Dutch element that appears in various compound or nominal phrases; in this usage it signals a collective or kinship relation rather than a specific past action.

In contemporary usage, gebroeders most often shows up as part of proper names, particularly in business names and family enterprises. It is common to see firms named Gebroeders [Surname], indicating ownership or involvement by two or more brothers. The term can also appear in historical or genealogical writings to designate a group of brothers within a family or lineage. Beyond naming, gebroeders may be encountered in literature or media that seek to evoke themes of kinship, partnership, or mutual enterprise.

Related terms include broeder (older or formal for “brother”), broers (modern plural), and gebroeder (older form that appears in historical texts). While gebroeders is not the general everyday word for brothers today, it remains a recognizable component in Dutch onomastics and historical usage.