volmaakter

Volmaakter is a Dutch adjective-form used as the comparative of volmaakt, generally conveying the idea of being more complete, more perfect, or more mature. In modern standard Dutch, the common way to express a higher degree of completeness is with the construction meer volmaakt, while volmaakter is attested mainly in literary, archaic, or stylistic contexts. The form can appear in both attributive and predicative positions, as in een volmaakter ontwerp or het ontwerp wordt volmaakter.

Etymology and form: volmaakter derives from volmaakt, which means complete or perfect. The suffix -er is a productive agent suffix in Dutch, capable of forming comparatives for some adjectives, yielding volmaakter as a distinctly suffix-based comparative, in contrast to the more general meer volmaakt construction. The suffix -er in this sense often signals a more emphatic or ceremonial register and may be perceived as archaic or elevated.

Usage and nuance: volmaakter emphasizes a higher degree of completeness, refinement, or maturity, applicable to objects, processes, or persons. For example, een volmaakter plan suggests a plan that is more fully developed, while een volmaakter mens points to greater maturity. In contemporary prose, writers might favor meer volmaakt for everyday clarity, reserving volmaakter for poetic, formal, or rhetorical effect.

See also: volmaakt, perfectie, voltooiing, linguistics of Dutch comparatives.

Note: While accurate, the suffix-based form volmaakter is not common in everyday language and may feel stylistically marked to many speakers.