citaron

Citaron is the third-person plural preterite form of the Spanish verb citar. It can mean “they cited” or “they summoned,” depending on context. The preterite indicates a completed action in the past and is used with plural subjects.

Etymology and form: Citar comes from Latin citare, related to citation and the act of naming or quoting. In its conjugation, citar is regular in the preterite for -ar verbs. The forms are: yo cité, tú citaste, él citó, nosotros citamos, vosotros citasteis, ellos citaron. The form citaron is the past tense used for ellos/ellas/ustedes.

Usage: In academic or literary contexts, citaron typically means quoting or referencing sources. In legal or administrative contexts, it can mean summoning someone to appear or attend. Examples: Los investigadores citaron varios documentos relevantes durante la audiencia. (The researchers cited several relevant documents during the hearing.) El juez citó al acusado para el lunes. (The judge summoned the defendant for Monday.)

Nuances: The choice between meanings depends on surrounding words and the object of citation or summoning. As a past tense, citaron situates actions firmly in the past narrative. It is distinct from other tenses of citar, such as cita (quotation) as a noun or citando (present participle).

See also: citar (to quote or to cite); citación; citation.