Newton, Philip wrote:
> Not sure how to translate it, as the only thing I can think of off-hand
that
> one "verbrings" is time. Etymologically, I assume it's ver- (a prefix
> indicating, among other things, that something is done too far or
> wrongly[1]; or a sense of distributing[2]) + bringen "to bring". I don't
> have my Duden handy at the moment, however.
Afaik, the prefix "ver-", although loosely, indicates that an anction is
continuous or repetitive or that the action is at leats not instantaneous.
There are a few exceptions, or cases were this explanation is not very
clear.
> [1] For example "hauen" = "to hit"; "verhauen" = "to beat up".
"hauen" = "to hit (instantaneously)", "verhauen"= "to hit repetitively"
> Or "sprechen" = "to speak"; "(sich) versprechen" = "to mis-speak; to say
something even
> though one meant to say something else".
This one is not so clear.
> "urteilen" = "to pass judgment"; "verurteilen" = "to condemn".
"urteilen" = to pass judgement in the sense of making a decision in a single
case
"verurteilen" = to pass judgement after a trial, to condemn someone's
actions
> "hören" = "to hear"; "verhören" = "to interrogate".
"hören" = to hear
"verhören" = to repetitively ask question and hear the answers ->
interrogate
> "teilen" = "to share"; "verteilen" = "to distribute".
"teilen" =to divide, to share (a single action)
"verteilen" = to divide (a compound action which takes a certain amount of
time)
> "bauen" = "to build" vs "verbauen" = "to use (something) as building
material"
"bauen" = "to build"
"verbauen" = to redecorate, to chage the way something has been built
This one is somewhat of an exception.
Most of these examples are completely analogous to their Dutch counterparts.
Maarten