English Vocabulary

to succumb

Fugendichter

User since 2008
Posts: 588

8 Dec. 2009

My today's vocabulary says: "to succumb to a disease" and the translation is very mysterious: einer Krankheit erliegen.
So I would like to ask, whether it means to die owing to that disease or only to be affected by a disease.

1 comments

AhQ ['a: kiu]
User since 2006
Posts: 2715
11 Dec. 2009

Hello JamieO.

I think that grammatically both meanings can fit.

Nevertheless, if I had to make a choice, I'd choose "succumbing by dying" if I may say so myself.

The other way to take it - I mean to be overcome or be forced to give way - is more entralling with appealing things like "to succumb to his/her charm; to succumb to temptation; to succumb to one's treat; to succumb to lust." But that's just my personal trend. Someone else could succumb to the H1N1 virus without dying. Another one could succumb to the swine flu (and die).

What do you think, JamieO?
Hello JamieO. I think that grammatically both meanings can fit. Nevertheless, if I had to make a choice, I'd choose "succumbing by dying" if I may say so myself. The other way to take it - I mean to be overcome or be forced to give way - is more entralling with appealing things like "to succumb to his/her charm; to succumb to temptation; to succumb to one's treat; to succumb to lust." But that's just my personal trend. Someone else could succumb to the H1N1 virus without dying. Another one could succumb to the swine flu (and die). What do you think, JamieO?

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