wertend

Wertend is a German adjective and the present participle of the verb werten, meaning to value, assess, or judge. In usage, wertend describes language, judgments, or attitudes that express value judgments or evaluations rather than neutral description. It is commonly applied to statements, remarks, or analyses that attribute positive or negative value to a person, object, action, or situation.

In grammar, wertend can be used attributively (eine wertende Bemerkung, eine wertende Haltung) or predicatively (Die Äußerung ist wertend). It can also function as an adverbial modifier in some contexts, though its primary function is to signal evaluative content. In linguistics, discourse studies, and media analysis, the term helps distinguish evaluative or stance-taking language from descriptive, neutral language.

Semantically, wertend corresponds to evaluative or normative content, often reflecting bias or a particular moral or aesthetic stance. It is typically discussed in relation to Werturteile, Wertschätzung, or bewertende Sprache, and is contrasted with wertneutral or wertfrei language.

See also: Werturteil, Beurteilung, wertneutral, wertfrei, wertende Sprache, evaluative language.

Examples:

- Der Bericht enthält wertende Formulierungen.

- Er gab eine wertende Einschätzung ab.

- Die Rezension verwarf mehrere wertende Passagen.

Wertend thus serves as a useful label for describing language or judgments that express judgments of worth, rather than neutral description.