uitvond

Uitvond is a form that appears in Dutch as a past tense of the verb uitvinden, which can mean to invent or to find out. In contemporary standard Dutch, however, the past tense is usually formed with two words: vond uit (for singular) or vonden uit (for plural). The past participle is uitgevonden, used with have/has or had in perfect tenses. The single-word form uitvond is generally considered nonstandard in modern Dutch and may be found only in archaic texts, historical orthography, or as a misspelling.

The verb uitvinden has two main senses. In the sense of discovery or finding out, it means to uncover information or reveal how something works, as in vinden uit: “We vonden uit hoe het apparaat werkte.” In the sense of invention, it means to create something new or to devise, as in uitvinden: “Hij heeft een nieuw apparaat uitgevonden.” Distinguishing these senses is important, because the past tense form changes accordingly (vond uit for discovering; uitgevonden for invented).

Etymologically, uitvinden is a composite of uit- (out, away) and vinden (to find), with the prefix changing the meaning from simply finding to discovering or inventing. Related terms include uitvinding (invention) and uitvinder (inventor). In usage, context often clarifies whether the sense is discovering something or creating something new.

See also: uitvinding, uitvinder, vinden.