Breakdown of Velen lopen blindelings mee met de massa.
de massa
the masses
blindelings
blindly
velen
many (people)
Questions & Answers about Velen lopen blindelings mee met de massa.
Why is it Velen with an -n instead of just Vele?
Words indicating a quantity, like vele (many), sommige (some), and alle (all), get an -n suffix when they meet two conditions: they are used independently (not directly in front of a noun) AND they refer to people. Because Velen stands entirely alone as the subject here and means "many people," it must have the -n.
How does the verb meelopen function in this sentence?
Meelopen is a separable verb that literally means "to walk along." Because this is a main clause, the verb splits: the conjugated part (lopen) takes the second position, and the prefix (mee) moves toward the end. When paired with the preposition met (with), meelopen met means "to go along with" or "to follow."
What is the function of the -elings ending in blindelings?
The suffix -elings is an older, fixed way to turn an adjective or a noun into an adverb of manner, much like "-ly" in English. Here it turns blind into blindelings (blindly). You will also recognize this suffix in words like plotseling (suddenly) or kruiselings (crosswise).
Does de massa always translate to "the crowd"?
Not always. Literally, it means "the mass" (like a lump of matter, or mass in physics). However, when talking about society, de massa refers to "the masses" or the general public. In English, "following the masses" sounds a bit formal, so "following the crowd" is the most natural translation for this idiom.
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