énonçaient

Énonçaient is a French verb form, specifically the imperfect indicative third-person plural of énoncer. The verb énoncer means to state, to utter, or to declare something. In the imperfect, énonçaient expresses an ongoing or repeated action in the past, as in narrative or descriptive contexts.

Etymology and usage notes: Énoncer comes from Latin enuntiare, via Old French descendants such as enonciier, evolving into the modern form in standard French. The imperfect ending -aient for ils/elles is typical of -er verbs in this tense, and the cedilla under the c (ç) in énonçait and énonçaient is used to preserve the soft [s] sound before a, o, or u, as in énonçait, énonçaient. Énoncer is often contrasted with synonyms like déclarer, affirmer, or proclamer, though the nuances differ: énoncer focuses on the act of stating or enunciating information.

Conjugation and related forms: The verb belongs to the regular -er group and shares its conjugation pattern with other -er verbs. The imperfect forms include énonçais, énonçais, énonçait, énoncions, énonciez, énonçaient. Related nouns include énoncé (a stated or uttered proposition) and énonciation (the act of enunciating). The énonciateur is the speaker or enunciator.

Example usage: Ils énonçaient des faits avec précision pendant le témoignage. La profusion d’arguments énoncés à cette étape suggérait une position bien établie.