onze

Onze is a term with multiple meanings depending on language and context. In several Romance languages, such as French, Portuguese, and Catalan, it denotes the number eleven. In Dutch, by contrast, onze means the possessive determiner “our.” The Romance-language use traces back to Latin undecim, while the Dutch meaning is etymologically separate.

In French, onze is the standard numeral for 11 and is used both as a cardinal number and as a determiner before a noun (for example, onze pommes, eleven apples). It also appears in phrases indicating count, such as Nous sommes onze, meaning there are eleven of us.

In Portuguese, onze also represents the number 11 and functions as a cardinal numeral, as in Somos onze (we are eleven) or dia onze de outubro (the eleventh day of October).

In Catalan, onze likewise means eleven and is used in the same cardinal sense, for example Som onze persones (We are eleven people) or van onze anys (eleven years old).

In Dutch, onze means “our” when placed before a plural noun, as in onze huizen (our houses). It can also appear as a possessive pronoun in contexts where the noun is understood or omitted, though it is most commonly used as a determiner before a plural noun.

Summary: onze is primarily a numeral meaning eleven in several Romance languages, with the etymology rooted in Latin undecim. In Dutch, however, it serves as the possessive determiner “our,” illustrating a distinct linguistic evolution.