Vergeichend

Vergeichend is a historical Dutch term that appears primarily in older spellings of the language. In contemporary Dutch, the word is not standard, and the modern equivalent is generally considered to be vergel ij kend (vergelijkend), which is the present participle meaning “comparing.” As such, vergeichend is best understood as an archaic or variant spelling rather than a distinct modern word with current usage.

Etymology and form

Vergeichend is formed from the verb vergelijken (to compare) with a prefix and a suffix that mirror the common medieval and early modern Dutch practice of spelling variants for the same morpheme. The core of the word lies in gelijk, meaning “equal” or “like,” with verg- as the prefixed element that yields the sense of making or causing similarity. The appearance of the ij/ei alternation in historical texts contributed to multiple spellings for the same pronunciation.

Usage and context

The form vergeichend is primarily attested in early modern Dutch grammars, dictionaries, and literary works. It is considered obsolete in standard contemporary Dutch. When encountered in scholarly or historical texts, it signals older orthography rather than a different grammatical function. In modern linguistic references, the corresponding modern form is vergel ij kend, connected to verg elijken and the noun/ adjective related to comparison, verg elijking.

See also

Vergelijking, vergelijkende trap, vergel ij ken.

Notes

Vergeichend is not used in current standard Dutch and should be interpreted as an archaic variant of verg elijkend in historical sources.