versperde

Versperde is a Dutch verb form meaning "blocked" or "blocked off," formed as the simple past tense of versperren, which means to block, obstruct, or close off access or passage. It can describe physical blockages such as a road or doorway, or more figurative obstructions, such as a line of sight being blocked. The past participle versperd is used with compound tenses, as in "De straat is versperd" (The street is blocked) or "De weg werd versperd" (The road was blocked).

Etymology and form: Versperren comes from Dutch Middle Dutch versperren, built from the prefix ver- plus sperre, meaning barrier or obstacle. The noun sperre remains a standard term for a barrier, and the verb sense broadened to cover blocking access in both physical and abstract contexts. This family of terms has cognates in other Germanic languages, reflecting a common concept of closure or blockage.

Usage: Versperren is commonly found in reporting, infrastructure planning, law enforcement, and everyday speech. It describes actions that physically prevent passage, such as road closures or cordons, as well as situations that block access to information or services. In narrative or journalistic contexts, it can convey a completed action in the past or describe a current state when used with appropriate auxiliary verbs.

See also: versperren, versperd, sperre, afsluiten, blokkeren.