allungando

Allungando is the gerund form of the Italian verb allungare, which means to lengthen, stretch, or extend. As a general linguistic term, allungando denotes the action of making something longer or more extended—such as a period of time, a physical length, or the duration of speech or music. The word comes from the Italian language, itself derived from Latin roots, and is used in both everyday language and specialized contexts.

In musical usage, allungando appears as a directive in some scores to indicate a lengthening or broadening of the musical material. It can imply extending the duration of notes, prolonging a phrase, or adopting a flexible, expansive tempo approach. The instruction is not as standardized as other tempo or character markings (for example, rallentando, allargando, or rubato) and is encountered primarily in certain Romantic-era or editor-added annotations, or in performances aiming for a particularly spacious phrasing.

Beyond notation, the term may be used descriptively in vocal or instrumental practice to refer to the elongation of vowels, syllables, or melodic figures within a passage. This use emphasizes the expressive, sustained quality of the performance rather than a strict metrical alteration.

See also: allungare, allargando, rallentando, rubato.