mondelijke

Mondelijke is a Dutch adjective meaning related to speech or the mouth, and is used to describe information, statements, or processes that are communicated verbally rather than in writing. In practice, it denotes an oral form of something, such as an oral history, statement, or explanation.

Etymology and form: The word is derived from the noun mond (mouth) with the suffix -elijk, forming a word that indicates a relationship to spoken word. The form mondelijke is the attributive inflected version that appears before a noun in standard written Dutch, particularly in more formal or traditional usage. In many contexts, the more common or synonymous term mondeling (meaning “oral”) is also used.

Usage: Mondelijke is typically found in contexts that emphasize spoken rather than written communication. It contrasts with schriftelijke, meaning written. Common collocations in Dutch include expressions such as mondelijke geschiedenis (oral history) and mondelijke verklaring (oral statement), or mondelijke toelichting (oral explanation). Because mondelijk/mondeling expressions often occupy a high-formality register, mondelijke is more likely to appear in formal writing or archival texts than in everyday speech.

Notes: The term is somewhat specialized and may be less frequent in casual conversation. When in doubt, consult a Dutch dictionary or corpus for preferred usage in a given context, as regional preferences and evolving style guides can influence whether the -elijke form or the more common -eling form is used.