douzieme
RareFormal, technical
Definition
Meaning
Twelfth; relating to the number 12 in a series.
Indicates position in a sequence (12th); can denote a fraction (one twelfth); in some contexts, a specific type of small watch movement or a 12th-century architectural style.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily ordinal number. In French contexts, used similarly to English 'twelfth'. In horology, refers to a specific small size of watch movement.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Word is of French origin. In English, it is almost exclusively used in direct borrowing from French contexts (e.g., art history, watchmaking) or when deliberately using French terminology.
Connotations
Sophisticated, technical, or deliberately foreign/continental. Using it in general English would sound affected or highly specialised.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in general English. Slightly higher in specialised fields like antique collecting, watchmaking, or French history/literature studies.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Ordinal Number] le/la + [noun] (le douzième roi)être + [ordinal] + à/de + [infinitive] (être le douzième à partir)[noun] + du/de la + [ordinal] (le jour du douzième)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “faire le douzième (to make up the twelfth person, e.g., for a team or jury)”
- “se mettre sur son trente-et-un (not directly related, but involves a number idiom in French)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in historical contexts (e.g., 'the douzième century'), art history, or specific technical papers on horology.
Everyday
Not used in everyday English. Used in everyday French for dates, positions, fractions.
Technical
Watchmaking: a 'douzième' is a unit of size for watch movements, equal to 1/12 of a French 'ligne'.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Not applicable as a verb in English.
American English
- Not applicable as a verb in English.
adverb
British English
- Not applicable as an adverb in English.
American English
- Not applicable as an adverb in English.
adjective
British English
- The douzième-century tapestry was remarkably preserved.
- He collected douzième-size watch movements.
American English
- The douzième-century manuscript detailed life in the 1100s.
- This case fits a douzième movement.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My birthday is on the twelfth. (Mon anniversaire est le douzième.)
- She finished twelfth in the marathon. (Elle a fini douzième au marathon.)
- Approximately a douzième of the population attended the event, according to the historical account.
- The horologist specialised in restoring antique watches with douzième movements, which were popular in the early 20th century.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a 'dozen' (12) and add the French suffix '-ième' for ordinals, like 'première' (first). So, 'douz(aine)' + 'ième' = douzième (twelfth).
Conceptual Metaphor
POSITION AS A FRACTION: The twelfth position is conceptualised as one part of a twelve-part whole.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- False friend with Russian 'дюжина' (dyuzhina - a dozen). 'Douzième' is the ordinal (12th), not the collective noun (a group of twelve).
- May incorrectly assume it relates to 'two' due to the 'douz-' sound, but it relates to twelve.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'douzième' in general English instead of 'twelfth'.
- Pronouncing it as /daʊˈziːm/ instead of the French-inspired /duːziˈɛm/.
- Confusing it with 'douzaine' (a dozen).
Practice
Quiz
In which specialised field is the term 'douzième' most likely to be encountered in English?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a direct loanword from French. It is not assimilated into general English vocabulary and is used only in specific contexts where French terminology is retained, such as in history, art, or watchmaking.
Use 'twelfth' or '12th'. Only use 'douzième' if you are deliberately invoking a French context or referring to the specific technical meaning in watchmaking.
'Douzaine' is a feminine noun meaning 'a dozen' (a group of twelve). 'Douzième' is an adjective or noun meaning 'twelfth' (the ordinal number or one twelfth part).
In French, yes (e.g., 'le douze mai' for the 12th of May, but 'le douzième jour' for the twelfth day). In English, use 'twelfth' or '12th' (e.g., May 12th).