diegelijke

Diegelijke is a Dutch adjective and determiner meaning “of the same kind” or “such.” It is primarily found in older or more formal, literary Dutch, and in some dialects. In contemporary standard Dutch the form dergelijke (and related forms such as dergelijke) is more common. Diegelijke refers to something that has been mentioned or is otherwise implied and functions as a demonstrative modifier before a noun, as in diegelijke gevallen (“such cases”) or diegelijke uitspraken (“such statements”).

Etymology and related forms: Diegelijke is built from die (that) and gelijke (like, equal). It is closely related to the modern counterpart dergelijk/dergelijke, which carry the same meaning in everyday usage. In many modern texts diegelijke is treated as archaic or stylistically marked, with dergelijk/dergelijke preferred.

Usage: The word is typically used in attributive position before a noun and in formal or literary contexts. It signals a reference to something of the same kind as what has been discussed or described. Because it is less common today, sentences using diegelijke tend to appear in historical writing, scholarly prose, or stylistic prose choices. Examples (archival or formal style): “In diegelijke gevallen is voorzichtigheid geboden,” or “Zij verwees naar diegelijke beweringen zonder bewijs.”

See also: dergelijke, dergelijk, dergelijke, zulk. Notes: Diegelijke is often considered a variant or archaic form; moderne schrijvers usually choose dergelijk/dergelijke or dergelijke depending on nuance.