tellende

Tellende is a term used in Dutch and other West Germanic languages to denote a present participle or verbal adjective derived from the verb tellen (to count). As a participial form, tellende corresponds to the English gerundive “counting” and is used to describe ongoing counting activity or related qualities. In Dutch grammar, participial adjectives formed with -ende typically function attributively or predicatively and may inflect for definite or indefinite contexts and number.

In usage, tellende is commonly found in contexts related to counting, enumeration, or bookkeeping. It can describe actions (counting) as well as nouns that are associated with counting processes, such as groups, results, or datasets that are being tallied. The exact inflection and acceptability of tellende can vary by dialect and register, and speakers may select alternative forms or constructions depending on stylistic preference.

Beyond Dutch, cognate forms appear in other Germanic languages with similar meanings. In Danish and Norwegian, related participles from the verb tælle or telle carry a comparable sense of counting or enumerating, though exact spelling and usage differ by language.

Related terms include teller (one who counts), telling (the act of recounting in English), and tellingen (the Dutch plural or nominalization related to counting). Tellende is primarily a descriptive or technical term rather than a widely used everyday word, appearing mainly in linguistic descriptions or texts dealing with enumeration and numeration.

See also: tellen, telling, teller, tellingen, tælle/telle.