trettende

Trettende is the ordinal numeral that denotes the position of thirteen in Norwegian and Danish. In both languages the form is used to indicate the thirteenth item in a sequence, the thirteenth day of a month, or the thirteenth position in ranking. It commonly appears in calendars, schedules, and written enumerations, and may be used when referring to floors or places, such as the thirteenth floor or the thirteenth place in a contest.

Origin and spelling: Trettende derives from the cardinal tretten, meaning thirteen, with the ordinal suffix -ende in Norwegian and Danish. Its closest cognates appear in other North Germanic languages. The Old Norse form was þrettándi, and similar forms exist in Danish and Swedish, where the corresponding ordinal shares a related root meaning thirteen.

Usage notes: In contemporary Norwegian and Danish, dates are often written with numerals (13. marts) rather than spelled-out ordinals, but trettende remains common in formal prose or when the ordinal is emphasized. The word also forms phrases such as trettende plass (thirteenth place) or trettende etasje (thirteenth floor), though usage may vary by region and context. Some calendars or building conventions may omit the usage of the ordinal in favor of numerals, especially in casual contexts.

See also: Ordinal numbers; Norwegian language; Danish language; date and time notation; floor numbering conventions.