stervende

Stervende is a Dutch word formed as the present participle of the verb sterven, meaning to die. As an adjective it denotes that someone or something is in the process of dying or in a state of decline. It can function attributively, as in een stervende patiënt (a dying patient), or predicatively in constructions such as de patiënt is stervend (the patient is dying). The term is also used metaphorically to describe things that are fading or waning, for example stervende tradities (dying traditions).

Etymology and form: sterven belongs to the Germanic family of verbs, and stervende is created with the suffix -ende to form the present participle/adjective. The form is related to similar participles in German (sterbend) and English (dying). The past participle gestorven is used for voice in perfect tenses, but is not part of the present participle form.

Usage notes: In modern Dutch, stervende is most common in literary, medical, or formal contexts. In everyday speech, speakers may prefer alternatives depending on nuance and tone. The word carries a solemn or poignant connotation and frequently appears in obituaries, medical descriptions, or narrative passages about death.

Examples:

- Een stervende patiënt ligt in het ziekenhuis.

- De stervende tradities verdwijnen door modernisering.

Overall, stervende functions as a descriptive term for ongoing death or decline, with both literal and figurative applications in Dutch.

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