allontanavo

Allontanavo is an Italian verb form. It is the first-person singular imperfect indicative of the transitive verb allontanare, meaning to move away or to keep away. In this sense, it expresses a past ongoing action or a habitual action in the past. For example, Io allontanavo la folla con la mano, to keep people at a distance.

When the related reflexive verb allontanarsi is used, the corresponding imperfect is Io mi allontanavo, meaning I was moving away (from something) or I used to distance myself. For instance, Io mi allontanavo dal rumore del centro città expresses a gradual or repeated action in the past.

Etymology and syntax: allontanare derives from the root lontano, meaning far, with the productive -are verb class in Italian. The meaning centers on creating or maintaining distance, either physically or figuratively. Allontanavo is therefore primarily a past-tense form used in narrative or descriptive contexts to describe distancing actions or tendencies.

Usage notes: Allontanavo is standard in written and spoken Italian, particularly in descriptions of past events, security or crowd-control scenarios, and historical narratives. It contrasts with avvicinare or avvicinarsi, which mean to bring nearer or to approach.

See also: allontanamento (the noun meaning the act of moving away or distance), allontanare (to move away / to keep away), allontanarsi (to move away oneself). Related concepts include avvicinarsi (to approach) and distance-related terms.