verb

quellen

swell · pour

Dieses Wort beschreibt, wie Wasser aus dem Boden an die Oberfläche kommt. Es kann auch bedeuten, dass etwas durch Feuchtigkeit dicker oder größer wird, wie zum Beispiel getrocknete Bohnen in Wasser.

Definition & meaning

The word quellen has two primary meanings depending on the context:

To swell or well up: This describes the process of a solid object increasing in size or volume, typically by absorbing a liquid. For example, dried beans or wood "swell" when placed in water. It can also refer to a liquid or substance emerging from a source (like water from a spring).
To gush or pour out: In a more poetic or archaic sense, it describes liquids flowing forth in large quantities from a hidden or underground source.

Grammar & Word origin

Grammar: It is a strong verb. The conjugation pattern is: quellen (infinitive), quoll (simple past), gequollen (past participle). It is an intransitive verb, meaning it does not take a direct object.
Word origin: It derives from the Old High German quellan, which means to gush, spring forth, or swell. It is etymologically related to the noun die Quelle (source/spring), which refers to the place where water wells up from the earth.