barmherzigen

Barmherzigen is the plural inflected form of the German adjective barmherzig, meaning merciful. It is used when the adjective modifies a plural noun that is preceded by a definite determiner, for example: die barmherzigen Taten (the merciful deeds) or den barmherzigen Helfern (to the merciful helpers). In this position the weak ending -en is used after a definite article or determiner. The full set of plural forms with a definite article is die barmherzigen (nominative/accusative), den barmherzigen (dative), der barmherzigen (genitive).

Nominal use: In German, adjectives can be capitalized to function as nouns; Barmherzigen with a capital B can refer to a group defined by mercy or appear as part of a proper name. For example, in some contexts one might see Die Barmherzigen as a designation for a group or organization, though the capitalization marks a nominal use rather than a common adjective.

Meaning and usage: The base meaning remains merciful or compassionate. Barmherzigen is most common in literary or formal contexts describing merciful acts, people, or institutions. It is not a standalone noun in everyday writing unless capitalized as a noun.

Related terms: The related noun Barmherzigkeit denotes mercy or compassion. The word originates from German barmherzig, with the semantics of mercy extending into religious and ethical language.