devoravano

Devoravano is the third-person plural imperfect indicative form of the Italian verb divorare, meaning to devour or consume greedily. In standard Italian, the correct form is divoravano; devoravano is typically considered a nonstandard spelling, a misspelling, or a dialectal variant rather than a standard inflected form.

Etymology and meaning: The verb divorare derives from the Latin word devorare, sharing the same core sense of swallowing or consuming something rapidly and completely. The Italian verb preserves the general semantic range of literal eating and can also be used figuratively to describe intense or insatiable consumption of resources, time, or attention.

Conjugation and usage: For divorare, the imperfect tense forms are: io divoravo, tu divoravi, lui divorava, noi divoravamo, voi divoravate, loro divoravano. The imperfect communicates ongoing, repeated, or habitual past actions and is common in narrative to set scenes of voracious eating or metaphorical consumption. Example: La folla divorava l'ultima fetta di torta. Another example: I lupi divoravano le prede durante la notte.

Notes: While "devoravano" may appear in some texts, it is not the standard spelling for the verb in modern Italian. When teaching or referencing Italian grammar, the preferred form is divoravano for the third-person plural imperfect. See also divorare, imperfetto, and a discussion of verb conjugation in Romance languages.