Deelwoordenschrift

Deelwoordenschrift is a term found in some Dutch linguistic literature to describe the set of spelling, morphological, and syntactic conventions governing deelwoorden (participles) in Dutch. It encompasses the two primary forms of participles—the voltooid deelwoord (past participle) and the onvoltooid deelwoord (present participle)—as well as the use of participles as adjectives and as parts of compound verbal forms, and the orthographic rules that apply to them.

Voltooid deelwoord is typically formed with the prefix ge- and a suffix -d or -t, depending on the verb’s phonology, with certain stem changes in irregular verbs. In modern Dutch, examples include geopend, gesloten, gelopen, geschreven. The voltooid deelwoord often serves in perfect tenses with auxiliary hebben or zijn and can function adjectivally in attributive position, where it is inflected to agree with the noun in number and definite status, as in het verleden deelwoord in sommige construities.

Onvoltooid deelwoord refers to the present participle, usually formed with -end or -ende, and it is used mainly as an adjective or adverb. It can appear in attributive position before a noun (de lopende band) or in predicative constructions, and it also forms part of certain verbal or adjectival phrases.

Historically, deelwoordenschrift reflects the development of Dutch participles from Middle Dutch to Modern Dutch, with standard orthography gradually codified in spelling reforms coordinated by language institutes such as the Taalunie. Variations exist across dialects and older texts, but contemporary usage follows a standardized set of rules for both forms and their adjectival use.

See also: Deelwoord, Taalunie, Dutch grammar.