allestivamo

Allestivamo is an Italian verb form that appears only in written Italian. It is the first‑person plural (we) imperfect indicative of the verb allestivare. Allestivare is a literary and archaic variant of allestire, meaning to prepare, furnish, or set up, often used in contexts such as art, decoration, or military arrangement. The form allestivamo thus translates literally as “we were setting up” or “we were furnishing”.

The verb allestivare is derived from the Latin root allestīre, which itself comes from all (from‑) + estīre (to prepare). In contemporary Italian the standard verb is allestire, and allestivare is almost extinct, surviving mainly in literary works, diaries, or historical texts. The conjugation follows the regular -are pattern, but with an additional “v” insertion that distinguishes it from allestire. Due to its archaic nature, speakers usually prefer allestire; as a result, allestivamo rarely appears in modern conversation.

Examples of allestivamo in literature are found in the 18th‑century prose of Italian writers. A typical sentence might read: “Nel palazzo, allestivamo i tavoli con fiori freschi per l’inaugurazione”, meaning: “In the palace, we were setting up the tables with fresh flowers for the inauguration”. Such usage highlights the formal, ceremonial tone that allestivare carries.

Despite its rarity, the form allestivamo remains a useful academic reference for students of Italian linguistics and historical linguistics as an illustration of how verb forms can retain archaic characteristics while the base verb becomes modernised.