Umschriebenen

Umschriebenen is the declined form of the past participle umschrieben, derived from the verb umschreiben. Umschreiben means to paraphrase, to describe something in different words, or to rewrite text. The participle umschrieben can function as an adjective, describing a noun in terms of paraphrase or rephrasing.

Etymology and meaning: The prefix um- combined with schreiben (to write) yields a sense of rendering something “in other words.” In use, umschrieben describes something that has been paraphrased or rewritten. It is closely related to the noun Umschreibung, which denotes paraphrase or restatement.

Grammar and usage: Umschriebenen appears as a declined form of the participle when used attributively or in specific syntactic positions. It occurs in plural and in certain cases for masculine, feminine, and neuter nouns. Examples include:

- Nominative plural: die umschriebenen Texte (the paraphrased texts)

- Accusative singular masculine: einen umschriebenen Text

- Dative plural: mit den umschriebenen Texten

- Genitive plural: der umschriebenen Texte

In everyday German, the participle can also appear in compound verbal forms (Ich habe den Text umgeschrieben) and as an adjective after determiners, where its ending changes according to case, number, and gender.

Relation to related terms: Umschreibung (noun) denotes the act or result of paraphrasing; umschrieben (past participle) is the non-inflected form used in verbs and as an adjective. The term is common in linguistic, editorial, and academic contexts where paraphrase or restatement is discussed.