Overgangen

Overgangen is a Dutch noun meaning transitions or crossings and is the plural form of overgang. The term derives from over- (across) and gang (going or path), and it is used across multiple domains to describe changes from one state, phase, or condition to another, as well as physical or metaphorical crossings.

In everyday language, overgang refers to a change or shift in circumstances, such as life-stage transitions (for example, from adolescence to adulthood) or shifts in policies, systems, or routines. The word is also used in writing and speaking to denote the links or bridges between parts of a text or between scenes in a narrative; in this sense, overgangen can describe transitions between paragraphs or sections.

In a more concrete context, overgangen can denote physical crossing points or transitions in traffic or infrastructure. While the common term for a pedestrian crossing is often oversteekplaats, in informal usage or regional variation, overgangen may be employed to refer to places where one can cross from one side to another.

In legal and policy language, overgangandescent terms appear in compounds such as overgangsperiode (transition period) or overgangsbepalingen (transitional provisions). These usages describe time-bound phases or provisions that bridge a change from one regime to another.

See also overgang, transition, and transitional provisions. The term Overgangen functions as a versatile label for both abstract changes and concrete crosspoints, reflecting the broad utility of the concept in Dutch language and discourse.