verscheiden

Verscheiden is a Dutch term with several closely related senses, predominantly found in formal, ceremonial, or historical language. As a noun, het verscheiden denotes death or the act of dying; in obituaries or ceremonial notices one often encounters phrases like “het verscheiden van [persoon]” to indicate the passing of someone. As a verb, verscheiden is now rare and primarily literary or archaic, meaning to die or to depart from life.

Etymology and sense development: the word comes from scheiden, to separate, with the prefix ver- added. In its figurative usage, it conveys a separation between life and death, which over time gave rise to its noun form referring to death itself. The concept is related in meaning to more common Dutch terms for death, such as overlijden and sterven.

Usage and register: the noun verscheiden appears mainly in historical writing, religious or ceremonial contexts, and older texts. In contemporary prose and journalism, speakers and writers typically use overlijden, overledenen, of sterven. The verb form verscheiden is rarely used outside of literary quotations or very formal registers.

Related terms and distinctions: verscheidenheid is a different word meaning diversity or variety. Verscheiden, when used in the sense of death, should not be confused with these more common modern expressions for dying or the state of being dead. The standard contemporary equivalents for everyday use are overlijden, sterven, or is overleden.

See also: death in Dutch literature; obituaries; synonyms for death.