befalling

Befalling is the present participle form of the verb befall, meaning to happen to or to come upon someone or something. It is used in literary, historical, or biblical style and is less common in contemporary everyday English. The word can function in active constructions, as in “A disaster befell the town,” where the town is the recipient of the event, or in questions such as “What may befall us in the future?” The form also appears in the ongoing tense as “what is befalling,” though such usage is rare outside formal or archaic registers.

In modern usage, befall is largely supplanted by more common verbs like happen, occur, or strike. Befalling tends to appear primarily in literary contexts, where writers seek a formal or antiquated tone. The term is closely related to befell (the simple past tense) and befallen (the past participle), which show the verb’s irregular pattern and its tendency to evoke gravity or fate.

Etymology-wise, befall derives from Old English with the be- prefix attached to a verb meaning to fall, reflecting the sense of an event that comes upon someone or something. It is cognate with the German befallen, which carries a similar meaning and occasional resonance in poetic or formal language.

Overall, befalling is a niche, archaic-flavored form of a common idea: events arriving upon people or places, sometimes as misfortune. In modern prose, clearer and more direct alternatives are usually preferred.