Gegenwoordige

Gegenwoordige is a historical or archaic spelling found in Dutch-language sources, used to denote the present or current time. In modern Dutch, the corresponding standard form is generally tegenwoordige, which is most commonly seen in linguistic discussions of the present tense and related expressions. The variant gegenwoordige appears primarily in older grammars, literary works, or philological discussions and is rarely encountered in contemporary everyday Dutch.

In Dutch grammar, the concept associated with this form is the present tense, or tegenwoordige tijd, which describes actions occurring now, habitual actions, or general truths. The present tense is a core part of Dutch morphology and is expressed through finite verb forms such as ik loop, jij loopt, hij loopt. The term tegenwoordige tijd remains the conventional label in current grammar texts; gegenwoordige is today viewed as an historic or alternate orthography rather than a standard variant.

Etymologically, gegenwoordige reflects historical orthographic practices in Dutch and variants that have since been superseded by standardized spellings. Its usage highlights how Dutch spelling has evolved, particularly in the representation of prefixes and compound adjectives. While the modern term tegenwoordige tijd is widely used, gegenwoordige is of interest mainly to scholars studying the history of Dutch language and its orthography.

See also: Dutch language, Dutch grammar, present tense (tegenwoordige tijd), linguistic history.