omgeven

Omgeven is a Dutch verb meaning to surround or encircle something. It covers both literal enclosure—such as a town surrounded by water or walls—and figurative enclosure, as in being surrounded by rules, circumstances, or secrecy. The usual construction is omgeven door followed by the surrounding element. For example, De stad is omgeven door water. De plannen zijn omgeven door geheimhouding. The word can also function as an adjective or participle in contexts like een omgevende muur (the enclosing wall).

Etymology and related terms help situate omgeven within Dutch. It combines the prefix om- (around) with geven (to give), and over time its sense broadened from a literal act of surrounding to a broader enclosure. Related verbs include omringen (to surround) and omsluiten (to enclose). The noun omgeving means environment or surroundings and shares the same linguistic root.

Usage notes and nuance. Omgeven is common in descriptive prose, geography, and news reporting. It often appears in phrases such as omgeven door [iets], indicating what forms the boundary or atmosphere around something. In some contexts, omringen and omsluiten can convey a more active sense of surrounding or enclosing, while omgeven emphasizes the boundary created by surrounding elements, whether physical or metaphorical.