zween
German edit
Alternative forms edit
- zwen (Early New High German)
Etymology edit
From Middle High German zwēne, from Old High German zwēne.
Pronunciation edit
Numeral edit
zween m (feminine zwo, neuter zwei or zwey)
Usage notes edit
- The gender distinction in the numeral zwei was widely given up in modern German. Some grammarians, well into the 19th century, continued to recommend it but it was rarely applied and is now entirely obsolete. Zwo, the original feminine, lives on as a variant without gender distinction.
Declension edit
As an example, Es steht in zwei Büchern, Es steht in zweien Büchern and Es steht in zweien, mean "It is found in two [books]", the latter does not have a substantive after it and is thus declined (in the dative case).
declension of zween