befallener

Befallener is the attributive form of the German past participle befallen, meaning that something has been attacked, infested, or otherwise affected by a condition such as a disease, a pest, or moisture. It functions as an adjective placed before a noun, with its ending determined by gender, number, and case. Examples include ein befallener Baum (a tree that has been infested), befallene Früchte (infested fruits), and eine befallene Pflanze (an infested plant).

Predicative use is also common: Der Baum ist befallen (The tree is infested). In this position, the participle acts as a non-inflected predicate adjective, describing the subject after a linking verb.

Noun use of Befallener is rare but possible in theory. The capitalized form Der Befallene (the afflicted one) or Die Befallenen (the afflicted people) can appear in formal or historical texts to refer to persons who have been afflicted, but in modern language terms like Betroffene or Erkrankte are more typical.

Etymology and related terms: Befallener derives from the verb befallen, meaning to befall or to attack. The related noun Befall denotes the event or state of infestation or affliction, while synonyms or related expressions include befallen, befallen von, infiziert, or betroffen.

Common contexts: The term appears in forestry, agriculture, medicine, and pest control, where objects (trees, fruits, buildings) or organisms (plants, animals) are described as befallen by pests, diseases, or moisture.

See also: befallen (verb), Befall (infestation), Betroffene, Erkrankte.