Svolávat

Svolávat is a Czech verb meaning to convene or summon a gathering, typically a meeting, assembly, or porada. It is imperfective; its perfective counterpart is svolat. The imperfective form expresses the process or repeated act of calling people together, while the perfective refers to a single act of convening. The action is usually undertaken by an authority figure, such as a chair, a government body, or an organizer, and targets an event or gathering, for example a schůze, výbor, or zasedání.

Common constructions include svolávat zasedání výboru, svolávat poradu, or svolat schůzi. Examples: Předseda svolává zasedání výboru. Dnes byla svolána porada vedení. Městská rada bude svolávat mimořádnou schůzi v pátek. In official contexts, svolávání is often formal and tied to procedural rules.

Etymology and related terms: svolávat is formed with the prefix s- added to the verb volat, meaning to call. The root conveys the act of calling people together. Related terms include konvokovat (a more formal or archaic synonym meaning to convoke) and shromáždit (to assemble). A related noun is svolání, meaning the act of convening or the convened meeting.

Notes on usage: svolávat and svolat are commonly used in administrative, political, and organizational language. The choice between imperfective and perfective reflects whether the emphasis is on the process or on the one-time act of summoning.