paraphrase / transfer
Loading your saved state.
paraphrase
The explanation or description of a term in other words, often in order to avoid a word or to make a situation easier to understand.
„Der längste Tag des Jahres“ ist eine Umschreibung für die Sommersonnenwende.
'The longest day of the year' is a paraphrase for the summer solstice.
transfer
The administrative act of officially changing the registered owner or holder of something, such as a vehicle or a piece of land.
Die Umschreibung des Autos auf den neuen Besitzer dauerte nur zwanzig Minuten.
The transfer of the car to the new owner took only twenty minutes.
The word is the nominalization of the separable verb 'umschreiben' (to paraphrase / to transfer). This consists of 'um' (around) and 'schreiben' (to write). The literal meaning, 'to write around something,' fits well with the meaning of paraphrase.
Seine Erklärung war eine lange Umschreibung des eigentlichen Problems.
His explanation was a long paraphrase of the actual problem.
The two meanings can be distinguished well from the context. If it is about language, words, or explanations, it means a paraphrase. If it is about official documents, ownership, and public offices or authorities, for example with vehicles or land, it means the administrative act.
„Ein Raubtier mit Streifen“ ist eine Umschreibung für einen Tiger.
'A predator with stripes' is a paraphrase for a tiger.
When something is an 'Umschreibung' (paraphrase) for something else, the preposition 'für' (for) is used with the accusative. People often look for or find a 'treffende Umschreibung' (apt paraphrase).
„Kaltes Licht des Mondes“ ist eine poetische Umschreibung für den Mondschein.
'Cold light of the moon' is a poetic paraphrase for moonlight.
In an administrative context, people speak of the 'Umschreibung eines Fahrzeugs' (transfer of a vehicle), 'eines Kontos' (of an account), or 'eines Grundstücks' (of a property). The action is often linked with the verb 'beantragen' (to apply for) or 'vornehmen' (to carry out).
Die Umschreibung des Wagens muss bei der Zulassungsstelle beantragt werden.
The transfer of the car must be applied for at the vehicle registration office.
description
Beschreibung directly presents qualities and features. Umschreibung, on the other hand, explains a term in different words, for example because the exact word should be avoided or is difficult to understand. Beschreibung is suitable for the features of an object, while Umschreibung is more appropriate for an expression explained in other words.
Die Umschreibung des unbekannten Begriffs machte den Text für die neuen Schüler verständlicher.
The paraphrase of the unfamiliar term made the text easier for the new students to understand.
Die Beschreibung des Geräts nennt seine Größe, sein Gewicht und die wichtigsten Funktionen.
The description of the device lists its size, its weight, and its most important functions.
