proklínali

Proklínali is a Czech verb form meaning “they cursed” or “they damned.” It is the third-person plural past tense (minulý čas, 3. os. č.) of the verb proklínat, which means to curse, damn, or condemn. The infinitive is proklínat; the past tense plural form proklínali indicates that several subjects performed the action in the past. The prefix pro- combined with the root klít emphasizes the act of cursing, and the form is typically found in more emphatic, archaic, or literary contexts. In everyday speech, speakers may opt for milder or more neutral verbs, but proklínali remains correct and widely understood.

Etymology and usage notes: proklínat is formed from the prefix pro- and the verb klít, which means to curse or blaspheme. The word carries strong connotations and can appear in religious, literary, or historical texts to convey condemnation or invocation of curses. It is part of the same verbal family as other past-tense forms such as proklínal, proklínala, or proklínalo, corresponding to gender and number.

Examples: Ve starých zdrojích proklínali své nepřátele; dnešní texty by k výrazům s mírnějším zněním sáhly spíše jako nadávali nebo zklopili ruce, v závislosti na kontextu.

See also: klít, kletba, nadávat.