Incidenteels

Incidenteels is a term used in Dutch-language texts to describe elements, items, or events that are not central to a main subject but occur in addition to it. It is often employed as an adjective meaning incidental, occasional, or supplementary, and can appear in contexts where a list or classification includes nonessential components.

Etymologically, incidenteels derives from the Latin incidentalis, through French incidentel and into Dutch. The form reflects the common Dutch practice of adapting Latin-based adjectives with the -els ending when used in certain plural or nominalized contexts. In everyday usage, incidenteels signals that something is auxiliary or ancillary rather than essential to the core topic.

In practice, incidenteels appears across several domains. In legal and administrative language, it may describe incidental claims or motions that arise alongside the principal matter. In finance or budgeting, it can refer to incidental costs or expenses that are not part of the main budget. In the arts and media, it can denote incidental music or other peripheral material that accompanies the main work without being its primary focus. In linguistic or textual analysis, incidental remarks or details may be noted as supplementary information attached to a larger discourse.

The term is relatively specialized and its exact usage can vary by region and field. When translating or substituting equivalents in other languages, alternatives such as incidental, incidental, or occasional are often chosen according to context. For clarity, writers typically pair incidenteels with a noun that names the peripheral element (for example, incidentele kosten or incidentele opmerkingen) rather than using it alone as a standalone noun.

See also: incidental, incidental music, incidental findings, incidental costs.