signierten

Signierten is a German word form derived from signieren, meaning to sign. It occurs primarily in two grammatical roles: as a finite verb form in the simple past (Präteritum) for plural subjects, and as an inflected adjective form before a plural noun.

As a verb, signierten is the Präteritum form used with plural subjects. Examples: Wir signierten den Vertrag. Sie signierten die Unterlagen. In everyday speech, the Perfekt is more common, with have signiert: Wir haben den Vertrag signiert.

As an attributive adjective, signiert can modify a noun directly. In plural with a definite article, the ending is signierten: die signierten Verträge (the signed contracts). This is the weak inflection pattern of the past participle signiert used as an adjective. In singular, the corresponding attributive form is signierter Vertrag (der signierte Vertrag in nominative; other cases shift endings accordingly). Without a determiner, the strong plural ending is signierte: signierte Verträge.

Usage notes: signieren and its participle signiert are standard terms for signing documents. Signieren is often used in official or formal contexts, with unterzeichnen sometimes serving as a near-synonym in some contexts. The form signierten thus appears as the past tense for plural subjects and as the plural attributive adjective before a noun when the definite article is present.

Etymology: signieren comes from the root sign- (sign) with a Germanic verb formation pattern; the participle signiert is the standard past participle, used in compound tenses and adjectival positions.