Vereinigen

Vereinigen is a German verb meaning to unite, merge, or bring together into a single unit. It is used in political, legal, social, scientific, and everyday contexts to describe the act of combining separate parts or entities.

Etymology and related terms: The word derives from the noun Verein (union, association) with the suffix -igen to form a verb. Related concepts include Vereinigung (unification) and Vereinheitlichen (to standardize or harmonize).

Usage and senses: Vereinigen can be used reflexively as sich vereinigen (to come together or unite): Die Parteien haben sich zu einer Koalition vereinigt. It can also be used transitively to join parts or provisions into one whole: Verschiedene Bestimmungen werden in einem Gesamtvertrag vereinigt. The past participle is vereinigt, and the present participle vereinigend.

Domains of use:

- Politics and law: describing the formation of a union or merger, such as Länder, parties, or organizations uniting to form a new entity.

- Business: describing the consolidation or merger of companies.

- Science and industry: describing elements or substances combining to form a compound or new material (e.g., Wasserstoff und Sauerstoff vereinigen sich zu Wasser).

- Everyday language: describing the act of bringing people or groups together around shared goals.

Examples:

- Die Regionen vereinigen sich zu einer Großregion.

- Zwei Unternehmen vereinigen sich, um Marktanteile zu gewinnen.

- Die Wissenschaftler vereinigen verschiedene Datenquellen zu einer Gesamtauswertung.

See also: Verein, Vereinigung, fusionieren, zusammenschließen.