Áthidalás

Áthidalás is a Hungarian noun that denotes the act or result of bridging across a gap or obstacle, as well as the structure that spans such a gap. The word is formed from the verb áthidalni, with the suffix -ás indicating a process or object. It is used both in a concrete, engineering sense and in a figurative sense.

In civil engineering and construction, áthidalás refers to a structural element or system that spans an opening and transfers loads from one side to the other. This includes arch, beam, and truss configurations that cross obstacles such as rivers, valleys, roads, or railway lines. In technical writing, the term emphasizes the spanning function, and it can be used somewhat interchangeably with terms like híd (bridge) depending on context, although híd typically denotes the entire crossing structure rather than the bridging element alone.

In figurative language, áthidalás describes efforts to overcome barriers between people, groups, or ideas. It is commonly used to describe reconciliation or collaboration across differences, as in áthidaló megoldás (a bridging solution) in politics, diplomacy, or conflict resolution. It can also appear in discussions about bridging time or space in communication, education, or technology contexts.

Origin and usage: the term is widely used in Hungarian-language technical literature, engineering practice, and everyday speech to express the concept of bridging—physically across a gap or metaphorically across social or conceptual distance.