inquietaba

Inquietaba is the imperfect indicative form of the Spanish verb inquietar. It expresses that something caused ongoing worry, disturbance, or anxiety in the past. As a transitive verb, inquietar takes a direct object that is affected by the action: la noticia inquietaba a la población, el ruido inquietaba a los vecinos. The form can also function as a past predicate describing a continuing state of concern, as in me inquietaba la ausencia de noticias.

The verb inquietar derives from the adjective inquieto, which comes from Latin inquietus meaning unsettled or restless. The prefix in- combined with quieto (quiet) yields a sense of causing restlessness or disturbance. In contemporary Spanish, inquietar is used across various registers to denote provoking worry, disturbance, or unease, from factual reporting to personal reflection.

In everyday use, inquietaba is common in narrative or descriptive contexts to convey a prolonged concern rather than a single moment of worry. It can be followed by subordinate clauses that specify the cause or nature of the worry, for example, que la información fuera incompleta or que la situación se prolongara.

Related forms include inquieto (adjective meaning restless), inquietud (noun meaning uneasiness or concern), and the related verbs inquietar and inquietarse. These terms share a common semantic field centered on disturbance, anxiety, and lack of calm.

Examples:

- La noticia inquietaba a la población.

- La ausencia de respuestas me inquietaba.

- El silencio nocturno inquietaba a los habitantes del pueblo.

See also: inquietud, inquietar, inquietarse, inquieto.

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