befällt

Befällt is a German verb form meaning to befall, afflict, or attack. In modern usage, befällt is the third-person singular present tense, as in Der Sturm befällt das Dorf or Eine Krankheit befällt den Patienten. The verb can describe something that overtakes a person, a place, or a situation, whether physically, medically, emotionally, or metaphorically. It is also used in passive or passive-like constructions to indicate infestation or attack by a pest, disease, or other force, for example Der Wald wird von einem Schädlingsbefall befallen.

Etymology and usage context: befällt comes from the prefix be- combined with fallen, originally meaning “to fall upon.” Over time it gained the sense of something pressing upon, affecting, or overtaking someone or something. The term can be applied to concrete events (a storm, a pest outbreak) as well as to abstract conditions (bewilderment, fear) that seem to seize a person.

Common contexts include medicine, ecology, and figurative language. In medical and biological contexts, one speaks of a disease or pest that befalls or befalls a population or habitat, e.g., Eine Grippe befällt den Patienten; Der Schädlingsbefall beschädigt den Holzbestand. In figurative use, one might say, Der Verdacht befällt ihn, indicating that suspicion suddenly overtakes someone.

Befall as a noun, Befall, refers to an infestation, outbreak, or attack, such as Schädlingsbefall in forestry or Befall durch Pilze in Holz. It is frequently used in technical, scientific, and medical writing to describe the extent and impact of an affliction.