handed down
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handed down
Preserved and known through oral or written transmission from the past, often across generations.
Dieses alte Hausrezept ist nur mündlich von Mutter zu Tochter überliefert worden.
This old family recipe has only been handed down orally from mother to daughter.
'Überliefert' (handed down) is the past participle of the separable verb 'überliefern' (to hand down) and is used here as an adjective. The verb is made up of 'über' (in the sense of 'weiter' — onward) and 'liefern' (to deliver) and means to pass something on to the next generation.
Die Sage wurde über viele Jahrhunderte nur mündlich überliefert.
The legend was handed down only orally over many centuries.
This adjective usually describes immaterial things that come from the past. Common combinations are 'eine überlieferte Geschichte' (a handed-down story), 'ein überliefertes Rezept' (a handed-down recipe), 'überliefertes Wissen' (handed-down knowledge), or 'überlieferte Traditionen' (handed-down traditions).
In meiner Familie gibt es ein altes, überliefertes Rezept für Apfelstrudel.
In my family, there is an old, handed-down recipe for apple strudel.
It is often described more precisely HOW something was handed down. Typical formulations are 'mündlich überliefert' (handed down orally), 'schriftlich überliefert' (handed down in writing), or 'von Generation zu Generation überliefert' (handed down from generation to generation).
Da das Gedicht nur mündlich überliefert ist, gibt es verschiedene Versionen davon.
Since the poem has only been handed down orally, there are different versions of it.
to receive / preserve / support
'erhalten' and 'überliefert' both have to do with something not being lost. 'erhalten' usually describes an active action: someone protects or preserves something. 'überliefert' describes more the result: something has remained known from the past because people told it or wrote it down. Learners may confuse the words because you can also say that something has 'erhalten geblieben' (been preserved). If you want to emphasize that people have passed something on, 'überliefert' fits better. If it is about preserving or protecting something, 'erhalten' fits.
Diese Geschichte ist seit vielen Jahren in der Familie überliefert.
This story has been handed down in the family for many years.
Der Verein will die alten Lieder des Dorfes erhalten.
The association wants to preserve the old songs of the village.