würd

Würd is not a standalone headword in standard German. It functions primarily as a morphemic base in several related words, most notably in the verb forms of werden (the Konjunktiv II construction) and in the adjective würdig as well as the noun Würde. Because würd itself is not typically listed as an independent lemma, most references discuss its appearances within these words.

In verb use, the form würd- appears as part of the Konjunktiv II of werden. The present Konjunktiv II forms include ich würde, du würdest, er würde, wir würden, ihr würdet, sie würden. This form is commonly used to express conditional or hypothetical situations, often in the two-word construction würde + infinitive (ich würde gehen, du würdest kommen). The simple Konjunktiv II forms (historically used in literary contexts) are more limited in everyday speech, with the periphrastic wird-würde construction prevailing.

In adjective and noun use, würdig and Würde are distinct words but share the same root. Würdig means "worthy" or "deserving," as in eine würdige Leistung. Würde, capitalized when used as a noun, means "dignity" or "grandeur" and appears in phrases like die Würde des Menschen. The related adverbial or derivative forms follow standard German inflection patterns.

Etymologically, würd forms derive from the Germanic verb system centered on werden, the core meaning shifting over time from “to become” to include subjunctive and conditional senses in modern German. The noun Würde and the adjective würdig are etymologically connected through the broader concept of worthiness and respect.

Usage note: readers should distinguish würd as a component of verb forms from Würde as a standalone noun and würdig as an independent adjective, to avoid confusion in both writing and interpretation.