betraffend

Betraffend is typically regarded as a nonstandard or mistaken variant in German. The standard form for the meaning “concerning” or “regarding” is betreffen, with the attributive adjective form betreffend or the related adverbial expressions such as in Bezug auf or bezüglich. Betraffend is therefore usually not listed as a correct or accepted spelling in contemporary dictionaries, and its appearance is generally attributed to a misspelling, mishearing, or influence from similar-sounding words.

Etymology and relation to other forms: betreffen is the verb meaning “to concern” or “to affect.” The present participle or attributive adjective derived from this root is betreffend? No; the correct present participle adjective is betreffend. The form betroffenen or betroffener appears in verb-related constructions, but betraffend does not have an independent, standard etymology or meaning in modern German. When encountered, it is typically treated as a spelling error rather than as a separate lexical item.

Usage and examples: betreffen is used to indicate the subject matter of a statement. The attributive adjective betreffend or the postpositive form relating to a noun can yield examples such as der betreffende Text, die betreffenden Dokumente, das betreffende Thema. More neutral or formal alternatives include bezüglich, in Bezug auf, or bezüglich des Themas. In practice, betreffend does not replace betreffen; when referring to the matter at hand, one should use betreffend.

See also: betreffend, betreffen, bezüglich, in Bezug auf.