tólft

Tólft is a Danish and Faroese word meaning "twelve". It is the number that follows eleven and precedes thirteen. In the context of time, tólft can refer to midday or midnight, the twelfth hour of the day. Historically, the number twelve has held significance in various cultures and systems, often associated with cycles, such as the twelve months of the year or the twelve signs of the zodiac.

The word "tólft" itself is derived from Old Norse. Its usage is consistent with the numerical system of counting in Germanic languages. In everyday Danish and Faroese conversation, "tólft" is used in the same way "twelve" is used in English, for counting objects, quantities, or in measurements. It appears in expressions related to age, time, and general enumeration. For example, "klokken er tólft" means "it is twelve o'clock." The number also features in idiomatic expressions and proverbs within these languages, reflecting its commonality and symbolic weight.