Gelijks

Gelijks is a Dutch word used primarily as an adverb meaning likewise or similarly. It signals that another item, situation, or statement shares a property or relation with something already mentioned. In modern Dutch, gelijks tends to be formal or literary and is less common in everyday speech, where alternatives such as evenals or evenzo are more frequently used.

Etymology and form: Gelijks derives from the adjective gelijk, meaning equal or similar. The suffix -s forms a fixed adverbial expression that has appeared in Dutch since medieval times. It is related to cognates in related Germanic languages, such as German gleich, which carry a parallel meaning of sameness or similarity.

Usage and register: Gelijks is typically encountered in written Dutch—academic, legal, or literary contexts—where a precise parallel with another case or example is intended. It can function as a connective element to introduce a point that mirrors what has been stated, or to emphasize a proportional or comparative relation. Because of its formal tone, it is often avoided in informal conversation.

Relation to related terms: Gelijks is connected to the noun gelijkenis (likeness or similarity) and to the adjective gelijk (equal). It should not be confused with gelijk aan, which literally means equal to, or with evenals, which more commonly conveys “as well as” or “just as.”

See also: Gelijkenis, Gelijk, Evenals, Evenzo, Gelijk aan.