Stilstaande

Stilstaande is a Dutch adjective and present participle derived from the verb stilstaan, meaning to stand still or to stop moving. It describes a state in which an object, person, or process is not moving or is temporarily paused. The word is commonly used to refer to physical stationary objects, such as vehicles or machinery, but can also describe natural phenomena or abstract processes that are not progressing.

As an attributive adjective, stilstaande typically precedes a noun, for example: de stilstaande auto, het stilstaande voertuig, de stilstaande trein, of stilstaand water. In practice the form is used to convey that the thing is currently not in motion, regardless of its normal ability to move.

Common contexts include traffic and transport (cars, trains, buses that are stopped), logistics and production (stilstaande productie), and ecology or physics (stilstaand water, stilstaande lucht). The term can also appear in figurative language to indicate a lack of progress, e.g., stilstaande ontwikkeling.

Stilstaande is formed from stil (quiet, still) and staan (to stand). It is related to stilstaan (to stand still) and stilstand (standstill). The related adjectives and nouns describe the opposite state when something is moving (bewegend, in beweging) or when movement resumes (restart of production, herstart).

Notes: in Dutch, the form and inflection of stilstaande follow standard adjective rules and typically occurs directly before the noun it modifies. The exact inflection can depend on definiteness and number of the noun.