varyeren

Varyeren is a term occasionally seen in Dutch texts as an alternative spelling of variëren, the standard verb meaning to vary, to introduce variation, or to differ among elements. In modern standard Dutch the preferred infinitive is variëren, and varyeren is generally considered nonstandard, dialectal, archaic, or a typographical error. It may appear in older writings or appear as a stylistic choice in certain contexts, but it is not widely accepted in contemporary formal usage.

Etymology and related terms: variëren comes from French varier and ultimately from Latin varius, with cognates in other Germanic languages such as English vary. The Dutch verb conveys the idea of change or difference across a set, time, or conditions. Synonyms include afwisselen, veranderen, and dose of differentiation; an antonym is constant houden.

Usage: The verb is used in contexts such as design and sampling (to vary options or conditions), statistics and research (to observe how results vary), and everyday language (to indicate that things are not identical). Typical sentences in standard Dutch include: De resultaten variëren afhankelijk van de meetmethode. Het menu varieert van dag tot dag. In these examples variëren expresses a range or difference among elements or observations.

Orthography and practice: Because variëren is the authoritative form in contemporary Dutch, varyeren should be avoided in formal writing. When encountered, varyeren is usually dismissed as an orthographic variant or error. Writers who aim for accuracy should use variëren and its standard conjugation and forms.

See also: variëren, variation, verschil, afwisseling.