calzarono

Calzarono is a form of the Italian verb calzare. It is the third-person plural passato remoto, the simple past tense used primarily in literary or formal narrative. In English, calzarono can be translated as “they wore” when referring to people wearing footwear, or “they shod” when meaning to fit horses with shoes. The distinction depends on context: calzare covers both putting on shoes and equipping with footwear, including horseshoes.

Etymology and meaning: Calzare comes from earlier Latin calceare, linked to calceus, the word for a shoe. The verb belongs to the regular -are class of Italian verbs. In the passato remoto, its endings are -ai, -asti, -ò, -ammo, -aste, -arono for the different subject persons; thus the form calzarono corresponds to loro (they).

Usage and register: Calzarono, like other forms in the passato remoto, appears mainly in written texts, historical chronicles, or stylized narration. In contemporary spoken Italian, speakers typically prefer the passato prossimo, such as hanno calzato, to express past actions. Nevertheless, calzarono remains correct and recognizable in modern Italian when used in appropriate literary or formal contexts.

Examples:

- Durante la marcia, i soldati calzarono i loro stivali prima di avanzare. (During the march, the soldiers put on their boots before advancing.)

- I fabbri calzarono i cavalli per la competizione, e i destrieri salirono al trotto. (The blacksmiths shod the horses for the competition, and the horses moved off at a trot.)

See also: calzare, calzatura, calzolaio, passato remoto, italiano grammatica.