betrouwijke

Betrouwijke is a term that appears in some Dutch-language texts but is not part of contemporary standard Dutch. It is typically encountered as an archaic or regional spelling variant connected to the modern adjective betrouwbaar, meaning trustworthy or reliable. In current usage, betrouwijke is rarely found outside historical quotations, linguistic discussions, or dialect studies.

Etymology and relation to modern terms

The form is linked to the same semantic field as betrouwbaar, which derives from the verb betrouwen (to entrust) and the adjectival suffixes used in earlier Dutch orthography. Over time, Dutch spelling and morphology consolidated around the forms betrouw(baar) and betrouwbaarheid, while betrouwijke persists only as a historical or dialectal relic. The precise orthographic pathway can vary by era and manuscript tradition, but the underlying idea remains “worthy of trust.”

Usage and function

In older texts, betrouwijke could function as an adjective modifying a noun or, less commonly, as a noun meaning “a trustworthy person.” In modern standard Dutch, such usage would usually be rendered by betrouwbaar (for the adjective) or betrouwbaarheid (for the noun). The contemporary language treats betrouwijke mainly as a historical spelling variant rather than a productive current form.

Modern relevance

For linguists and historians of Dutch, betrouwijke illustrates historical orthographic variation and the evolution of words related to trust and reliability. For everyday communication, it is largely of scholarly interest and is typically cited as an example of older Dutch spelling rather than a living term.

See also: betrouwbaarheid; betrouwbaar; Dutch orthography; history of the Dutch language.