lijkende

Lijkende is a Dutch term that primarily functions as a participial form of the verb lijken, which means to seem or to resemble. In modern Dutch, this form is uncommon outside of literary or formal contexts. When used, lijkende conveys that something appears to be a certain way or shares characteristics with something else, often with a sense of ongoing or developing appearance.

In everyday language, Dutch speakers typically express appearance or resemblance with the finite verb construction lijkt op followed by a noun or clause, as in "het lijkt op een assist." The participial form lijkende is therefore mostly encountered in more stylized prose, historical texts, or grammatical descriptions where a continuous or descriptive sense of appearance is intended.

Ambiguity can arise because the spelling resembles the plural noun lijken, which means corpses when used as a noun (de lijken). Context usually clarifies whether the word is functioning as a participle of lijken or as a noun plural. Because of this potential for confusion, lijkende is more likely to be noted as an archaic or literary form rather than as a common element of contemporary usage.

There is no distinct semantic domain or specialized field specifically dedicated to lijkende in Dutch linguistics; it is treated as a grammatical form with limited, mainly literary, applicability. See also: lijken (to seem/to resemble), schijnen (to appear/shine) for related expressions of appearance, and the broader discussion of Dutch participles and adjectives formed with -ende.

In summary, lijkende is a rare, mainly literary participial form of lijken that expresses appearance or resemblance, with limited use in everyday Dutch.