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 emphasizes that an old text or its original physical form has been preserved from loss or deterioration. Überliefert means that its content has remained known through oral or written transmission; the original does not necessarily still have to exist.
Der Wortlaut der verlorenen Handschrift ist in späteren Abschriften überliefert.
The wording of the lost manuscript has been handed down in later copies.
Restauratoren haben die ursprüngliche Handschrift vollständig erhalten.
Restorers have fully preserved the original manuscript.
