sovrappongono

Sovrappongono is the third-person plural present indicative form of the Italian verb sovrapporre, meaning "they overlap" or "they overlay." The verb describes the action of placing one element on top of another or of two elements occupying overlapping space, whether in physical, visual, or abstract contexts.

Etymology and form: sovrapporre is built from the prefix sovr- (a variant of sopra, meaning above) and porre/porre, meaning "to put." The word belongs to the pattern of verbs derived from porre and shares the irregular stem behavior seen in related forms (for example, io sovrappongo, loro sovrappongono).

Usage: The form sovrappongono is typically used with a plural subject in ordinary or descriptive Italian. It is common in talking about layers, surfaces, maps, graphs, or data sets that lie over or intersect each other. The corresponding reflexive form si sovrappongono is used when the subjects overlap with one another.

Examples: Le superfici si sovrappongono nelle sezioni trasversali del modello. I grafici sovrappongono due insiemi di dati per mostrare l’intersezione tra le variabili. In technical contexts, the verb frequentemente appears in descriptions of layering, overlaying, or combining elements.

Related forms and notes: As a verb built on porre, sovrapporre shares the same family of conjugations, including forms like sovrappongo (I overlap) and sovrappone (he/she overlaps). The prefix alternates with the stem according to standard Italian verb conjugation rules, and the exact form may vary by tense, mood, and voice.