This is the 9264th most frequent Catalan word.
guardaven
"Guardaven" means "they kept" or "they were keeping" in English.
In this sentence, "guardaven" is used to indicate an action of storing or keeping items, in this case, books.
Ells guardaven els llibres a l'armari.
They kept the books in the cupboard.
Here, "guardaven" signifies retaining or holding onto an abstract concept, like hope.
Les persones guardaven esperança en moments difícils.
People kept hope during difficult times.
In this instance, "guardaven" is employed to convey the idea of keeping a certain state or condition, specifically silence.