waaktijd

Waaktijd is a Dutch term for the period during which a person is awake or on duty to observe, monitor, or guard. The word combines waak (watch, vigil) with tijd (time) and conveys both vigilance and wakefulness.

In maritime and military usage, waaktijd refers to a watch period: the scheduled interval when crew members stand duty, observe the surroundings, and respond to signals. Watches are organized in cycles, often with four-hour intervals, but lengths vary by vessel, organization, and era.

In healthcare and security contexts, waaktijd can denote a shift during which staff are assigned to watch over patients or protect premises. In practice, the term is less common than dienst (shift) or wacht, and its use may depend on institutional tradition or documentation.

In everyday language, waaktijd may describe the time someone spends awake, for example during a night vigil, a period of bereavement, or a religious or personal observance. The connotation is one of alertness and care, not merely staying awake.

Origin and usage: waaktijd derives from waak, the act of staying awake or keeping watch, and tijd. It appears in Dutch dictionaries and in historical and organizational texts to denote duty periods or periods of vigilance.

See also: waakzaamheid, wacht, waak, dienst.