plegen

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpleːɣə(n)/

• audio

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• Hyphenation: ple‧gen
• Rhymes: -eːɣən

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch plien, later plēgen, originally a class 4 strong verb. Presumably from Old Dutch *plian, from Proto-West Germanic *plehan (“to vouch for”). However, the form plegan already occurs in Old Dutch with -g-, and likewise for Old Saxon plegan and Old High German pflegan, so it is not certain what the exact relationship between the words is.

Verb

plegen

1. to do (something) habitually, customarily

   Mijn grootvader pleegt na het middageten een pijp te roken.

   My grandfather usually smokes a pipe after lunch.

2. to usually happen

   Op onze wandelvakanties placht het vaak te regenen.

   On our trekking holidays, it often rained.

Inflection

Inflection of plegen (weak with past in -cht)
infinitive	plegen
past singular	placht
past participle	geplacht
infinitive	plegen
gerund	plegen n
	present tense	past tense
1st person singular	pleeg	placht
2nd person sing. (jij)	pleegt	placht
2nd person sing. (u)	pleegt	placht
2nd person sing. (gij)	pleegt	placht
3rd person singular	pleegt	placht
plural	plegen	plachten
subjunctive sing.1	plege	plachte
subjunctive plur.1	plegen	plachten
imperative sing.	pleeg
imperative plur.1	pleegt
participles	plegend	geplacht
1) Archaic.

Note: geplogen is also used instead of geplacht

Derived terms

• geplogenheid

Etymology 2

From the same origin as above. The formation of the weak past occurred in early modern Dutch.

Verb

plegen

1. (transitive) to commit (a crime)
   • In Vlaanderen plegen elke dag drie mensen zelfmoord.
     • Each day in Flanders three people commit suicide.
2. (transitive, dated) to care for

   Synonyms: verplegen, verzorgen

Inflection

Inflection of plegen (weak)
infinitive	plegen
past singular	pleegde
past participle	gepleegd
infinitive	plegen
gerund	plegen n
	present tense	past tense
1st person singular	pleeg	pleegde
2nd person sing. (jij)	pleegt	pleegde
2nd person sing. (u)	pleegt	pleegde
2nd person sing. (gij)	pleegt	pleegde
3rd person singular	pleegt	pleegde
plural	plegen	pleegden
subjunctive sing.1	plege	pleegde
subjunctive plur.1	plegen	pleegden
imperative sing.	pleeg
imperative plur.1	pleegt
participles	plegend	gepleegd
1) Archaic.

Derived terms

• pleeggezin
• pleegmoeder
• raadplegen
• veelpleger
• verplegen

Descendants

• Afrikaans: pleeg

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Middle Dutch

Etymology

Presumably from earlier plien, and thus from Old Dutch *plian, from Proto-West Germanic *plehan (“to vouch for”). However, the form plegan already occurs in Old Dutch with -g-, and likewise for Old Saxon plegan and Old High German pflegan, so it is not certain what the exact relationship between the words is.

Verb

plēgen

1. to care for
2. to carry out, to do, to engage in
3. to do habitually
4. to use

Inflection

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

Alternative forms

• plien

Descendants

• Dutch: plegen
• Limburgish: plieëge (why ieë and not ae?)

Further reading

• “pleghen (II)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E.; Verdam, J. (1885–1929), “plegen”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN