gewend

Gewend is a Dutch word that functions as an adjective and as the past participle of the verb wenden, meaning to turn, bend, or orient. In contemporary Dutch its most common use is in the expression gewend aan, meaning accustomed to or used to. The term describes a state of familiarity or adaptation to a person, situation, habit, or environment, typically resulting from experience.

Etymology and form: gewend is formed with the ge- prefix that marks past participles in Dutch and the t- ending typical of the participle of wenden. It shares a common Germanic ancestry with related forms in other languages, such as German gewend (from wenden) and English adaptations through different branches of the same linguistic family.

Usage: The word is most often found in more formal or written Dutch, and in contexts where habituation or adaptation is emphasized. It frequently appears with the preposition aan to denote what someone has grown accustomed to, e.g., gewend aan het lawaai. It can also be used in a broader figurative sense to indicate a change in habits or orientation over time.

Examples:

- Na een paar weken op het platteland was hij gewend aan het geluid van de vogels en het stille leven.

- Ze is goed gewend aan vroege ochtendwerk en ziet het als een gewoon onderdeel van haar routine.

See also: wend, gewendheid, gewend aan.