Patroonregelmatige

Patroonregelmatige is a Dutch term used in linguistics to describe words, particularly verbs, whose inflection follows a predictable pattern that is not strictly irregular but is regular within a specific class. The phrase literally means pattern-regular and is applied to items that can be analyzed as governed by a productive rule or a small set of rules.

In Dutch grammar, patroonregelmatige werkwoorden are those that form their past tense and past participle according to a recognizable pattern, even if the forms show minor variations from one verb to another. They are contrasted with completely irregular verbs, whose forms do not conform to the standard inflection rules. The category helps describe verbs that are not perfectly regular, yet still predictable, often falling under the broader umbrella of weak verbs or pattern-based conjugation.

Common examples used in describing patroonregelmatige verbs include voicing changes and a regular past-tense ending such as -de/-te and a past participle ending -d/-t, sometimes accompanied by phonological adjustments. Verbs like werken (to work) and raden (to guess) illustrate how the stem can change in a systematic way while still adhering to an overall pattern. Wandelen (to walk) similarly follows a regular pattern in its conjugation, aligning with the concept.

The term is primarily used in descriptive grammars and language pedagogy to capture a nuance between fully regular and truly irregular verbs. It emphasizes the existence of structured, repeatable inflection within a verb class and helps learners predict forms that are not perfectly uniform but still pattern-based.