espalharse

Espalharse, or espalhar-se in standard Portuguese, is a verb meaning to spread oneself or to become dispersed. It appears in two main forms: the transitive verb espalhar, which means to spread or scatter something, and the reflexive form espalhar-se, which describes the subject itself spreading out or dispersing.

In transitive use, espalhar means to cause distribution of an object or entity, as in espalhar sementes (to spread seeds), espalhar rumores (to spread rumors), or espalhar informações (to disseminate information). In reflexive use, espalhar-se conveys diffusion or dispersion that involves the subject or group, for example a crowd that espalha-se pela praça or news that espalha-se quickly among the public. The reflexive form often emphasizes gradual, wide, or organic dissemination.

Usage notes and nuance: espalhar-se tends to carry a sense of natural or unplanned spreading, whereas espalhar (transitive) highlights an action performed on something or someone else. It is common across dialects of Portuguese, including both European and Brazilian varieties. In similar contexts, synonyms such as difundir, disseminar, and propagar may be used, depending on nuance and formality.

Origin and related forms: Espalharse is related to other Romance-language terms for spreading or dispersing; cognate forms exist in Spanish as esparcir (and its reflexive esparcirse). The concept also connects to broader ideas of diffusion, distribution, and propagation in linguistic and cultural contexts.

See also: spreading, diffusion, dissemination, propagation, esparcir.