diens

Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch dienst.

Noun

diens (plural dienste)

1. service

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Dutch

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Determiner

diens

1. (demonstrative, dated) his, the latter's (genitive masculine and neuter singular of die)

   Samen met de Nederlander Henri Albert Gosse, Jacques Paul en diens zoon Nicolas begon Schweppe in 1790 in Zwitserland een mineraalwaterfabriek.

   Together with the Dutch Henri Albert Gosse, Jacques Paul and the latter's son Nicolas, Schweppe began a mineral water factory in 1790 in Switzerland.

2. (demonstrative) the latter's (genitive singular of die)

Usage notes

Diens is used in a similar way as the possessive determiner zijn. It is rare in spoken Dutch, but used occasionally in writing to avoid confusion. Compare:

• Hij vertelde van zijn zoon en zijn vrouw. – He told about his son and his (own) wife.
• Hij vertelde van zijn zoon en diens vrouw. – He told about his son and the latter's wife.

The corresponding plural and feminine form is dier, but it is not uncommon to see "diens" used for all genders.

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Swedish

Noun

diens

1. (deprecated template usage) indefinite genitive singular of dien