Spreiden

Spreiden is a Dutch verb meaning to spread, distribute, or extend. It covers both concrete actions, such as spreading material over a surface or scattering seeds, and more abstract processes, such as the dissemination of information or the expansion of a geographic area or influence. In everyday usage, spreiden can describe laying out items to cover an area or the gradual growth of a phenomenon.

In usage, spreiden is typically transitive: iemand spreidt iets uit over een tafel; de kaarten spreidt men uit. It can also be used in a broader sense to describe the expansion of a region or a trend. For the dissemination of information, however, the related verb verspreiden is more common.

Conjugation and grammar: in the present tense the forms are ik spreid, jij spreidt, hij spreidt, wij spreiden, jullie spreiden, zij spreiden. The past participle is gespreid and is used with hebben in perfect tenses, for example ik heb de kaarten gespreid. Spreiden has related forms and nouns, such as spreiding (the spread).

Etymology and scope: spreiden originates from older Dutch and shares roots with other Germanic languages that express the idea of spreading or extending. The term is versatile across domains, from everyday tasks (spreading a cloth or seeds) to more abstract contexts (the spread of ideas or influence). It is distinct from verspreiden, which is more specifically associated with dissemination or broadcasting of information.