afstroomt

Afstroomt is a Dutch term connected to the verb afstromen, meaning to drain off, to run off, or to flow away. It is used to describe the movement of liquids, especially water, away from a location, typically as a result of gravity, drainage, or runoff. The word can also be used metaphorically to refer to the outflow of resources, information, or people in various contexts.

Etymology and form: Afstromen is formed from the prefix af- (away) and stroomen (to flow). In standard Dutch, the present tense third-person singular is written as two separate words: stroomt af, as in Het water stroomt af. The fused form afstroomt is not the normative spelling in contemporary standard Dutch for present-tense usage, though it may appear in some analyses or older texts.

Usage notes: In scientific and technical writing, it is generally preferred to use stroomt af rather than afstroomt. For example: Het regenwater stroomt af naar de sloot. The related noun forms include afstroming or afstroom, depending on whether the focus is on the process or the act itself.

See also: afstromen, afvoer, afwatering, runoff, drainage.

Examples: Het water stroomt af langs het wegdek en gaat naar de goot. Tijdens hevige regen stroomt het overtollige water snel af naar de tuin. In meteorologie en hydrologie wordt afstroming vaak bestudeerd als onderdeel van drainage en bekkens.