Überlappen

Überlappen is a German verb meaning to overlap, to lie over or across the boundary of another object or concept. It is used for physical overlaps as well as temporal or abstract ones, such as shapes, layers, schedules, or ideas that extend over each other.

Etymology: The form combines the prefix über- (“over”) with lappen, a root historically linked to a flap or covering. The sense evolved to describe parts that cover or extend across one another, producing an overlap rather than a clear separation.

Applications: In geometry and computer graphics, überlappen describes shapes that partly cover each other. In geology and geography, it refers to strata or features that overlie or cross over part of another unit. In scheduling and project planning, it denotes time periods that intersect. In data analysis or linguistics, it can describe overlapping sets, features, or lexical items in multilingual contexts.

Grammar and usage notes: The verb is used as a regular verb in standard German. The present participle form überlappend is used adjectivally, as in eine überlappende Fläche. The noun form is die Überlappung, referring to the overlap itself.

Examples: Die Kreise überlappen sich. Die Zeiträume überlappen sich. Eine räumliche Überlappung der Flächen ist sichtbar.

See also: Überlappung, Überlagerung, Überdeckung.