Eerstepersonaal

Eerstepersonaal is a coined term used in Dutch-language discussions to denote something pertaining to the first-person perspective or experience. It is not a standard entry in official dictionaries and does not have a fixed, widely recognized definition in philosophy, linguistics, or literary studies. The word appears mainly in informal or theoretical contexts, where authors explore how first-person experience shapes narrative voice, thought, or ethical judgment.

Etymology and form: the term is built from eerste, meaning first, plus persoon, meaning person, with the suffix -aal to indicate relation or attribution. The result is typically read as “relating to the first person.” Because it is a neologism, there is variation in spelling and in how precisely it is applied in different texts.

Usage and contexts: in narratology and literary analysis, eerstepersonaal may describe a narrative voice that remains closely tied to the protagonist’s own perceptions and emotions, sometimes at the expense of external narration. In philosophy or cognitive science, the term can be used to discuss first-person access to mental states, intentions, or subjective experience. In many cases, its use is illustrative rather than technical, serving to label a perspective rather than to introduce a formal framework.

Limitations and reception: as a nonstandard term, eerstepersonaal lacks a unified definition or set of criteria. Interpretations of its meaning and scope vary across writers, and some critics may prefer established terms such as first-person perspective, subjectivity, or first-person narration when describing similar ideas.

See also: first-person perspective, subjectivity, narratology, ego psychology.