verweben

Verweben is a German verb meaning to interweave or weave together. The corresponding noun das Verweben refers to the act or process of interweaving, or to the result of weaving elements into a cohesive whole. The term is used in textile contexts as well as in metaphorical discourses about design, culture, and society.

In textile contexts, Verweben describes a technique in which different yarns or fibres are interlaced to form fabric, often with deliberate variation in texture, color, or strength. In architecture, art, and design, it can describe the intentional interlacing of forms, materials, or functions to achieve integration and coherence.

Metaphorically, Verweben is used to describe how ideas, identities, or processes are intertwined or inseparable. For example, scholars talk about the Verweben of social and economic factors, or the Verweben of narrative threads in a novel, film, or documentary.

The concept is closely related to Verflechtung (interconnection) and Verknüpfung (linkage), and to the English term interweaving. See also related weaving terminology and discussions of integrative design.