Behoorlike

Behoorlike is an adjective used in Dutch and Afrikaans to express ideas of propriety, suitability, or adequacy, and it can also convey the sense of something being sizable or considerable in amount. In Dutch, the word can describe behavior as proper or decent, or refer to quantity or quality as substantial, depending on context. In Afrikaans, it is commonly used before nouns to mean a decent, adequate, or considerable amount or quality.

Etymology and related forms: Behoorlike derives from the Dutch verb behoren, meaning to belong or to be fitting, with the suffix -lijk that forms adjectives. The Afrikaans form developed from Dutch during the language’s evolution in South Africa. The word is closely related to the Dutch bezigheidsversies zoals behoorlijke and to the Afrikaans soortgelyke vorme soos behoorlike; both share the core sense of appropriateness and sufficiency.

Usage and nuance: In Dutch, behoorlijk is the adverbial form meaning “quite” or “rather,” as in Het is behoorlijk koud (It is quite cold). Behoorlijke functions as the attributive adjective before a noun in definite contexts, e.g., een behoorlijke prijs or een behoorlijke hoeveelheid. In Afrikaans, behoorlike is routinely used before nouns to indicate a decent or substantial amount or quality, such as n behoorlike hoeveelheid water or behoorlike gedrag. In both languages, it often carries a normative or evaluative tone, signaling that something meets a standard of adequacy or propriety.

See also: behoorlike vs behoorlijk; redelik (Dutch: reasonable; Afrikaans: reasonable) and its cognates in related Germanic languages.

Note: Spelling and inflection vary slightly by dialect and standard usage, but the core sense remains the same across Dutch and Afrikaans.