Getrouwere

Getrouwere is a historical Dutch linguistic term that denotes the comparative degree of the adjective getrouw, meaning more faithful or more loyal. It is chiefly attested in Middle Dutch and Early Modern Dutch, and persists in some regional dialects or in stylized literary contexts. In contemporary standard Dutch, the ordinary comparative form is getrouwer, while getrouwere appears mainly in older texts or in poetry that aims to imitate archaic speech.

Etymology and form: The construction reflects the typical Dutch prefix ge- forming participial or adjectival forms, attached to the root trouw (faithful, loyal). The comparative suffix -ere appears in certain historical grammars or dialectal spellings, producing getrouwere as an older variant of the modern getrouwer. The development aligns with parallel Germanic patterns, where related words for fidelity survive across languages (for example, German treu).

Usage and context: Getrouwere was used to express a higher degree of fidelity in persons, pledges, or alliances, often within narrative, legal documents, or ceremonial prose. Today, the term is considered archaic or regional; most Dutch speakers would use getrouwer to convey the same meaning. In scholarly editions of historical texts, getrouwere may be encountered as part of a faithful reproduction of older orthography and grammar.

See also: getrouw, getrouwer, getrouwe.