Lallargarsi

Lallargarsi is a verb found mainly in some regional Italian varieties and in poetic or colloquial usage. In standard Italian, the corresponding verb is allargarsi, meaning to widen, broaden, or extend. Lallargarsi is therefore considered a non-standard or dialectal variant and is not widely documented in the main Italian dictionaries.

Meaning and usage

In dialectal or informal contexts, lallargarsi retains the core sense of widening or expanding. It can describe physical space becoming larger, such as a town or a street, as well as more abstract extensions like a network, influence, or activities growing over time. The form is typically used reflexively: mi lallargo, ti lallarghi, si lallarga, noi ci lallargiamo, voi vi lallargate, si lallargano.

Etymology

Lallargarsi is usually viewed as a variant of allargarsi, possibly arising from regional pronunciation or assimilation. Its exact etymology is not standardized, and it is often encountered as a literary or oral artifact rather than a normative form.

Examples

- Con la nuova ferrovia, la città si è lallargata rapidamente. (With the new railway, the city widened quickly.)

- Negli ultimi decenni il network di contatti si è lallargato notevolmente. (In recent decades the network of contacts has expanded considerably.)

Notes

Lallargarsi is rare in everyday standard Italian and may sound unusual to many speakers. In formal writing, it is generally safer to use allargarsi. If used, it is typically confined to regional speech, dialect writing, or stylistic prose.