provocava

Provocava is the imperfect indicative form of the Italian verb provocare, meaning to provoke or to cause. As a finite verb form, it agrees with the subject in person and number and can correspond to “he/she/it was provoking” or “I was provoking,” depending on the sentence. The form provocava occurs in the third person singular (lui/lei provocava) and also in the first person singular (io provocavo).

Etymology and meaning: Provocare derives from Latin provocare, formed by pro- “forth” and vocare “to call.” In Italian, provocare retains the core sense of inducing a response, reaction, or controversy.

Usage: The imperfect tense is used to describe ongoing or habitual past actions, background conditions in narrative, and past tendencies. It can convey a sense of continuity rather than a completed act, and is often used to set scenes or describe routines and repeated provocations in the past.

Examples:

- Lui provocava spesso discussioni accese tra i partecipanti. (He often provoked heated discussions among the participants.)

- Io provocavo una reazione positiva tra i colleghi. (I was provoking a positive reaction among my colleagues.)

See also: provocazione, provocatore, provocatorio, provocare.