vermaakte

Vermaakte is a Dutch word that appears as the simple past tense form of the verb vermaken, meaning to entertain or amuse someone. It is mainly found in historical Dutch texts or literary contexts and is rarely used in everyday modern Dutch. The common modern ways to express the idea are to amuse or to entertain, often with the verb amuseren.

Etymology: Vermaken combines the prefix ver- with maken (to make), with the related noun vermaak meaning amusement or pleasure. The past tense form vermaakte literally conveys that someone or something amused another.

Usage: In practice, a sentence would read: "De nar vermaakte het hof met verhalen." In modern prose, you are more likely to encounter the present tense "amuseert" or the past tense of "amuseren" rather than "vermaakte." The form also survives in dialects and in older poetry and chronicles.

Distinctions: Vermaakte is distinct from vermaakt, the past participle of vermaken, and from vermaak, the noun for amusement. It should not be confused with the common modern equivalents or with the noun form vermaak used to denote entertainment in general.

See also: Vermaak, Amuseren, Amuseerde.