Bestrijken

Bestrijken is a Dutch verb meaning to extend over or to cover, and, by extension, to address or treat a subject comprehensively. It is commonly used in two main senses: geographic or spatial extent, and the coverage of topics in a text or discussion.

In geographic usage, bestrijken describes how a region, area, or route spans a certain space. For example, a river or coastline can bestrijken a long distance, or a province can bestrijken multiple municipalities. In a textual or discourse sense, het bestraikt or een hoofdstuk bestrijkt is used to say that a work covers several aspects or themes.

Bestrijken is often used with prepositions to specify what is covered, such as a manner of coverage or the range of subjects. The word can also appear in formal or technical writing to express the scope of a study, report, or analysis.

Derived forms include bestrijking, referring to the act or process of covering or addressing, and the related verb form used in different tenses according to standard Dutch conjugation rules for be- prefixed verbs.

Examples:

- Het gebied bestrijkt een oppervlakte van 200 vierkante kilometer.

- Het hoofdstuk bestrijkt verschillende onderwerpen, waaronder financiën en planning.

Compared to synonyms like dekken or omsluiten, bestrijken emphasizes the extent or scope rather than a simple physical covering. Its use helps specify the reach of phenomena, borders of regions, or the comprehensiveness of a discussion.