inseguì

Inseguì is the third-person singular form of the Italian verb inseguire in the passato remoto, the simple past tense used mainly in literary or historical writing. It translates to "he/she/it pursued" or "chased." The form can apply to physical pursuit, such as chasing a person or animal, or to metaphorical pursuits, like pursuing a goal or a clue.

Etymology and meaning: inseguire comes from Latin insequīrī, from insequor “to follow.” The sense broadened to include not only following but actively pursuing or追ing down something or someone. In addition to inseguì, the verb has other forms across tenses and moods, with inseguire as the present form and inseguito as the past participle (used with avere in compound tenses).

Usage and modern context: In contemporary Italian, the passato remoto is rarely used in everyday speech and is instead common in literature, journalism of historical narration, or formal storytelling. In ordinary conversation, speakers typically say ha inseguito (he has pursued) or ha seguito (he/she has followed) using the passato prossimo. The infinitive inseguire and the past participle inseguito are standard across tenses for most speakers.

Example: L’investigatore inseguì la pista per ore. Translation: The detective pursued the lead for hours. Note that the same action in contemporary narration might be rendered as L’investigatore ha inseuito la pista for a compound past, though more common would be ha inseguito.