wijdeden

Wijdeden is a grammatical form in Dutch. It represents the imperfect past tense of the verb wijden, which means to consecrate, dedicate, or devote something to a sacred or dedicated purpose. Wijdeden is used with plural subjects to describe actions completed in the past by multiple agents.

In practice, wijdeden appears in religious, ceremonial, and historical texts, where communities or groups are described as having performed acts of consecration or dedication. It can also be used metaphorically to convey a strong commitment or dedication to a cause, project, or idea.

A typical example is a sentence such as Zij wijdden de altaren tijdens de ceremonie, meaning that the altars were consecrated by them during the ceremony. The form contrasts with the singular past tense forms, which would be used when a single subject performs the action. The past participle of wijden is gewijd, which occurs in compound tenses such as hebben gewijd.

Etymologically, wijden derives from the Dutch verb wijden and shares roots with related Germanic terms for dedicating or setting apart. Wijdeden thus sits within a family of verbs used to describe ceremonial or devoted actions, both in liturgical language and literary storytelling. See also the entry on wijden for broader grammatical details and usage.