Proberende

Proberende is a Dutch linguistic term referring to a specific participial form derived from the verb proberen, meaning to try or to test. In modern standard Dutch, the present participle is normally proberend. Proberende appears mainly as an archaic or dialectal variant and is frequently discussed in grammars as an historical example of -ende participle formation.

Origin and morphology: The form is built from proberen plus the suffix -ende, the same productive pattern that yields other Dutch participles such as doende, schrijvende, and lezende. It operates with the same basic function as the present participle, signaling ongoing or prospective action and capable of modifying a noun or introducing a participial clause in appropriate historical or literary contexts.

Usage and status: Today proberende is seldom used in everyday Dutch. Its presence is typically confined to linguistic descriptions, historical texts, or stylistic uses intended to evoke antiquity or regional flavor. In contemporary writing, most style guides and grammars recommend the standard form proberend for the present participle.

See also: Dutch grammar, present participle, participles, probere/ probere.