langzame

Langzame is the inflected form of the Dutch adjective langzaam, meaning slow. It is used to describe a noun’s characteristic and appears before a noun in attributive position. The form is common after definite determiners such as de and het, for example de langzame auto or de langzame treinen. In plural usage the ending remains -e as part of the attributive form. The adverbial form meaning “slowly” is langzaam, not langzame.

Grammatical note: Dutch adjectives are inflected for definiteness and number. Langzame typically marks a slow characteristic of the noun it modifies, whereas verbs are modified by the adverb langzaam (e.g., De trein rijdt langzaam).

Pronunciation and form: Langzame is pronounced roughly as /ˈlɑŋ.zaː.mə/ in standard Dutch. The final -e is pronounced as a schwa in many dialects.

Etymology and related forms: Langzame is built from the stem lang (long) combined with the suffix -zaam, a productive Dutch ending that forms adjectives indicating a quality. Related terms include langzaamheid (slowness), and the base adjective langzaam is the standard form for describing speed.

See also: Dutch adjectives, Dutch grammar, tempo and snelheid, linguistics of Dutch.