Átfed

Átfed is a Hungarian verb meaning "to overlap" or "to cover across." It combines the prefix át ("across") with the root fed (from fedni, "to cover"), and is pronounced approximately [aːtfɛd]. The verb is commonly used both in literal contexts (physical objects that partially cover one another) and in abstract or technical contexts (time intervals, data ranges, functions, or conceptual domains that overlap).

Grammatically, átfed is a transitive verb often appearing in reciprocal or passive constructions: for example, "A lapok átfedik egymást" ("The sheets overlap one another") or "A két időszak átfedése problémát okozott" ("The overlap of the two periods caused problems"). The related noun is átfedés ("overlap"); the adjective form is átfedő ("overlapping").

In geometry and set theory, átfed describes intersections of regions or intervals. In computational contexts it refers to overlapping windows, memory regions, or layers. In everyday language it can denote overlapping duties, schedules, or responsibilities. Antonymous notions include separation or non-overlap, expressed by words such as különállás or elválás.

Etymologically the construction follows a productive pattern in Hungarian where át- adds a sense of crossing or transference to a verb root. The concept and its derived forms are widely used across sciences, engineering, and colloquial speech.