nederige

Nederige is the inflected form of the Dutch adjective nederig, meaning humble or meek. In contemporary usage it functions as a descriptive word before a noun and is most commonly seen in contexts that require a weak inflection after a definite determiner.

Grammatical usage and forms: Nederige appears before nouns that are introduced with a definite article or other determiner that triggers weak inflection, for example: de nederige houding (the humble attitude), het nederige gebaar (the humble gesture), de nederige vrijwilliger (the humble volunteer). In contrast, when the noun is introduced by an indefinite article or without a definite determiner, the base form nederig is used, as in een nederig mens or een nederig persoon. The adverbial use of nederig remains the same as the adjective: hij knielde nederig (he knelt humbly).

Relation to related terms: Nederigheid is the corresponding noun meaning humility. It is used to denote the quality or state rather than a modifier. The adjective nederig and its inflected form nederige can coexist with synonyms such as bescheiden or onderdanig, though each word carries slight nuance in tone and formality.

Etymology and usage context: Nederig derives from a Germanic root related to low or beneath, extended into Dutch to describe a posture or character of modesty. Nederige is a standard grammatical variant rather than a separate lexical entry. It remains a common, neutral descriptor in formal and literary Dutch.

See also: nederigheid, nederig, bescheiden.