Verkörperter

Verkörperter is an adjective and past participle form derived from the verb verkörpern, meaning to embody or incarnate. It describes something that embodies, personifies, or concretely expresses a quality, idea, or force. In everyday and specialized language, verkörperter can be used attributively, as in der verkörperte Held, die verkörperte Freiheit, or das verkörperte Ideal. It can also appear as a nominalized form in literary or religious contexts, where der Verkörperte or das Verkörperte stands for a personified figure or an embodiment, such as in myth or theology.

Etymology and grammar: The term combines ver- (a prefix indicating transformation) with Körper (body) and the participle form -er. The related noun Verkörperung denotes embodiment or incarnation. Adjective inflection follows standard German declension: ein verkörperter Mann, eine verkörperte Idee, das verkörperte Glück. In predicative use, one may encounter structures like Er ist verkörperter Mut, though more common alternatives include Er ist mutig or Er verkörpert Mut.

Contexts and usage: In philosophy and theology, verkörperter is used to discuss incarnation or the embodiment of attributes, for example die Verkörperung Gottes im Fleisch or die Verkörperung der Vernunft. In literature, art and cultural criticism, it frequently appears to describe characters, symbols, or movements that explicitly embody certain qualities, such as die Verkörperung des Bösen oder die Verkörperung von Freiheit. The term is typically figurative and emphasizes concreteness or tangible manifestation rather than abstraction alone.

Translations: The closest English equivalents are embodied, incarnate, or personified. Verkörperter thus signals a concrete, perceivable embodiment of a concept, attribute, or ideal. Related terms include Verkörperung (embodiment) and, in religious contexts, incarnation.