zwanzig

Zwanzig is the German word for the number 20. It is a cardinal numeral used in counting and in everyday contexts such as ages, prices, dates, and measurements. The ordinal form is zwanzigste, used when indicating a position in a sequence (the twentieth). The word is also the base for numbers 21 through 29 in German, formed by placing the unit before zwanzig with the conjunction und: einundzwanzig (21), zweiundzwanzig (22), dreiundzwanzig (23), neunundzwanzig (29). For tens above twenty, other words are used, such as dreißig (30) and vierzig (40).

Etymology and cognates form a common topic in Germanic linguistics. Zwanzig originates in Old High German zwanzig and traces back to Proto-Germanic roots. It is related to cognates in other West Germanic languages, including Dutch twintig and English twenty, reflecting a shared Germanic heritage for the word representing twenty.

Usage and cultural notes include its appearance in phrases such as die Zwanziger Jahre, meaning the 1920s, a reference used in historical and cultural discussions. The term also appears in expressions of age, for example zwanzig Jahre alt, meaning twenty years old. In writing and numerals, 20 is represented by the Roman numeral XX and often appears in mathematical and date-related contexts as twenty.