verderbt

Verderbt is a Dutch verb meaning to spoil, ruin, or corrupt. It is primarily found in older or literary Dutch and is not common in contemporary everyday speech. The form is associated with the verb verderben (to spoil or ruin) and can appear in historical texts as a present-tense form such as third-person singular, reflecting older or more formal spelling patterns.

Etymology and related forms: Verderbt derives from the prefix ver- combined with a root meaning to spoil or ruin, and it is cognate with German verderben, which carries the same sense. The term reflects a long-standing medieval and early modern Dutch vocabulary, where many verbs used ver- to indicate negation or reversal of a state.

Usage and modern equivalents: Because verderbt carries an archaic or high-literary flavor, it is rarely used in everyday language. In modern Dutch, speakers would more likely choose bederven (to spoil or ruin) for physical spoilage or moral decline, and ruïneren (to ruin) for more abstract or substantial destruction. In lexical discussions or translations of older texts, verderbt may be retained to preserve historical nuance.

Conjugation and grammar: Verderbt appears as a form of the verb verderben/verderben in older spellings and registers; contemporary guidance typically avoids it in favor of standard modern forms. For general purposes, the key idea is that verderbt signals spoilage or ruin, whether physical, moral, or strategic.

See also: verderben, verderf, bederven, ruïneren.