contano

Contano is primarily known as a form of the Italian verb contare, meaning to count or to reckon. In standard Italian, contano is the third-person plural present indicative: loro contano. The full present tense for contare is: conto, conti, conta, contiamo, contate, contano. The word derives from Latin computare, through the evolution of Romance languages, with contare attested in Italian since early modern times.

In use, contano appears in sentences to indicate that a group is counting numbers or to reference the importance or weighting of elements. Examples: Loro contano i voti. I fatti contano. Here contano functions as 'they count' or 'they matter' depending on context.

Beyond its verb form, contano can also appear as a proper noun in rare cases, including as a surname or as part of toponyms in Italian-speaking areas. However, it is not common as a standalone noun or place name.

In related languages, cognate forms exist with similar meanings: Spanish cuentan, Portuguese contam, French comptent, reflecting shared Latin roots. Note that accents, conjugations, and usage differ across languages.

This entry focuses on linguistic use; there is no widely recognized geographic or cultural entity simply named 'contano' in major reference works. If you encountered 'contano' in a specific context (text, region, or dialect), that context may alter its precise interpretation.