verluidt

Verluidt is a Dutch verb meaning to report, to claim, or to allege something, typically in the sense of hearsay rather than confirmed fact. It is commonly used in formal, journalistic, or legal-style writing to indicate that information has been transmitted as rumor or assertion by unspecified sources. A characteristic construction is er wordt/het wordt verluidt dat …, meaning it is reported that … or it is said that …. The word can also appear in the active form, e.g., iemand verluidt dat …, though in everyday language the impersonal passive form is more common.

Etymology and sense evolution: verluiden derives from lijden and luiden (to sound or to be heard), with the prefix ver- adding a sense of dissemination or widespread statement. The construction with worden creates an impersonal, hedged reporting stance, distinguishing what is claimed from what is proven.

Usage notes: verluidt is typically reserved for formal or historical narration, media summaries, and cautious statements about information that cannot be independently verified. It signals hearsay or rumor rather than established fact. The phrase often introduces a subordinate clause with dat or of, as in er wordt verluidt dat de overeenkomst binnenkort zal worden getekend. It contrasts with more assertive verbs such as beweert or stelt dat, which imply stronger claimed certainty.

See also: gerucht (rumor), het gerucht gaat dat, naar verluidt (as reported), beweren, suggereren. These terms reflect related ways of conveying uncertain or unconfirmed information in Dutch.