preoccupavano

Preoccupavano is the third-person plural imperfect indicative form of the Italian transitive verb preoccupare, meaning to worry or to concern. It is used to describe ongoing or habitual concern in the past, indicating that something caused anxiety or trouble for someone. The form does not include a reflexive pronoun; the subject typically affects someone or something else as the direct object.

Grammatical notes: The imperfect ending -avano is added to the stem preoccup-, yielding preoccupavano. The verb requires a direct object to specify what caused the worry (for example: le condizioni, i tempi, la situazione). The phrase can include indirect object pronouns before the verb, as in mi preoccupavano, or be placed after the object. The reflexive counterpart si preoccupavano exists for describing worries about one’s own welfare or responsibilities, but that form is distinct from preoccupavano.

Usage and nuance: Preoccupavano is common in narrative past narration or reporting of past feelings, especially when describing situations that persisted over time. It can refer to concerns about health, economy, safety, or plans. It is typically contrasted with the present tense preoccupano (they worry now) or the imperfect reflexive si preoccupavano (they were worrying themselves about something).

Examples:

- Le condizioni economiche preoccupavano la popolazione.

- La rising tide of infections preoccupava i medici.

- I tempi di consegna preoccupavano i clienti.

Etymology and related terms: Preoccupare derives from Latin praeeoccupare, combining prae- (before) and occupare (to occupy), with the figurative shift to “occupy (one’s) thoughts in advance” leading to worry. Related nouns include preoccupazione (worry, concern) and the related adjective preoccupato (worried, concerned).

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