overgelopen

Overgelopen is a Dutch word that functions as the past participle of the verb overlopen and as an adjective describing a state resulting from that action. It has two principal meanings: something has overflowed, and someone has defected or switched allegiance to an opposing side.

Etymology: The form derives from lopen (to run, to flow) with the prefix over-, signaling excess or crossing a boundary. The sense of overflow comes from water running over the edge; the sense of defection stems from moving across to another group.

Usage: In hydrological contexts, it describes flooding, for example: "De rivier is overgelopen" meaning the river has overflowed. In political or social contexts, it denotes switching sides: "Een politicus is naar de tegenpartij overgelopen." In sports, a player can also be described as having overgelopen to a rival club.

Grammatical notes: As a participle, overgelopen is used with zijn in the perfect tense for intransitive uses, as in "De rivier is overgelopen." For defection constructions, it likewise appears in sentences like "Hij is naar de vijand overgelopen." The exact auxiliary can vary with sentence structure, but zijn is standard for movement-related senses.

See also: Overlopen (werkwoord); Overstromen.