wijswoord

Wijswoord is a term used in Dutch linguistics to refer to a class of words that point to or indicate a referent in discourse. In many grammar traditions these words are called aanwijzende voornaamwoorden (demonstratives) or demonstratives. The label wijswoord is often used to describe the same set of words because they “point” to something in order to identify it or indicate its distance from the speaker.

Wijswoorden function as either determiners (determiners before a noun) or as pronouns (standing alone). As determiners they modify a noun, as in deze muur, dit boek, die bomen. As pronouns they replace a noun, as in Deze is nieuw, Dat is van mij. They encode deixis, signaling proximity (near) or distance (far) within the discourse, and may also indicate plural references or different grammatical genders in the noun phrase.

The most common wijswoorden in Dutch are deictic forms such as dit, deze, dat, die. Proximal forms like dit and deze refer to items close to the speaker, while distal forms like dat and die refer to items farther away or previously mentioned. In practice, the forms that accompany nouns differ slightly from the stand-alone pronouns, but many forms overlap, and both uses share the same deictic function.

Wijswoorden are distinguished from other pronouns by their primary function of pointing to or identifying entities in context rather than simply replacing a noun. They are part of the broader category of demonstratives and are related to but distinct from question words and relative pronouns. In everyday language, wijswoord usage helps clarify which referent is being talked about and how it relates spatially or textually to the listener.