beherbergen

Beherbergen is a Dutch verb meaning to provide lodging or shelter for people, animals, or objects; to host or accommodate within a facility, often temporarily. The term is used in everyday language as well as formal or institutional contexts, where an organization takes responsibility for housing someone or something.

Etymology: The verb is formed with the prefix be- joined to herbergen, which relates to the noun herberg (inn) and expresses the sense of shelter or protection within a building or site. The root concept is placing under care or protection.

Usage and examples: In modern usage, one speaks of housing people or groups: De gemeente wil vluchtelingen in een conferentiecentrum beherbergen. Het hotel kan reizigers tijdelijk beherbergen. The term can also apply to non-human hosts, such as data or artifacts housed within a repository or archive: De tentoonstelling beherbergt een verzameling zeldzame documenten. The nuance is that beherbergen often implies more active care or oversight than simply “to house.”

Nuances and related terms: Huisvesten denotes more general or sometimes permanent provision of living space; onderbrengen emphasizes placing someone for a particular purpose or duration; opnemen stresses admission or intake. Beherbergen is common in formal writing about hospitality, shelters, institutions, or archival contexts.

See also: herberg (inn); huisvesting; onderbrengen.