Geerbten

Geerbten is a form of the German adjective geerbt, used to mean inherited. It functions as a participial adjective derived from the verb erben and is not a standalone noun. The base participle geerbt is used in perfect constructions such as Er hat das Vermögen geerbt (He has inherited the wealth), while geerbten appears when the adjective modifies a noun in postponed or declined position.

Etymology and grammar: The word geerbten comes from erben with the prefix ge- forming the past participle geerbt, which in turn can act as an adjective. When used attributively before nouns, the participle takes ordinary adjective endings. The form geerbten is the plural or certain singular declension endings after definite articles or in certain cases, for example mit den geerbten Kenntnissen (with the inherited knowledge) or die geerbten Gegenstände (the inherited items). In neuter singular after das, the attributive form would be geerbte, as in das geerbte Erbe.

Usage: Geerbten describes things, traits, or property that have been inherited. It is common in contexts such as inheritance of wealth, objects, or knowledge. It contrasts with bequeathal (vererbt) in cases where the emphasis is on transmission by inheritance versus by will; geerbt typically highlights inheritance through ancestors, while vererbt centers on bequeathal by a person’s will.

See also: erben (to inherit), vererben (to bequeath), Partizipialadjektiv (participial adjectives).

In summary, geerbten is the declined attributive form of geerbt used to describe plural or certain case-specific nouns, conveying the sense of something that has been inherited.