Breakdown of Het decreet werd plechtig in naam des konings ondertekend.
in
in
de naam
the name
worden
to become
de koning
the king
ondertekenen
to sign
het decreet
the decree
plechtig
solemn / solemnly
des
of the (genitive, masculine/neuter)
Questions & Answers about Het decreet werd plechtig in naam des konings ondertekend.
Why does the sentence use des konings instead of van de koning?
In modern Dutch, you would normally say van de koning (of the king). However, des konings is a remnant of the old Dutch genitive case. Today, the genitive is mostly dead in everyday speech but survives in fixed, highly formal or legal expressions like in naam des konings (in the name of the king).
Where do the word des and the -s on konings come from?
In the old case system, des was the definite article ('of the') for masculine and neuter singular nouns. Because koning is a masculine noun, it used des, and the noun itself took an -s ending. You will see this exact same historical pattern in other formal relics, such as de heer des huizes (the man of the house).
Why is the verb ondertekend placed at the very end of the sentence?
This sentence is in the passive voice. The conjugated auxiliary verb werd takes the second position in the sentence, which forces the past participle ondertekend (signed) to the very end. The adverb plechtig and the prepositional phrase in naam des konings naturally sit between them.
Could I use is instead of werd for this passive sentence?
Not without changing the meaning. Using werd (the simple past of worden) describes the action happening in the past ('was being signed'). If you used is, it would form the present perfect passive, meaning 'The decree has been signed'. That would focus on the present completed state rather than the historical action itself.
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