innalzare

Inalzare is an Italian transitive verb that means to raise, lift, or elevate something. It can refer to concrete actions, such as lifting an object or constructing a higher structure, as well as to figurative or quantitative increases, such as elevating prices, temperatures, or expectations. The reflexive form innalzarsi exists and describes something that rises on its own or stands taller, as in a tower that innalza above the landscape or a crowd that innalza its voices.

Etymology and form: innalzare is built from the prefix in- (up) plus alzare (to raise), conveying the sense of moving upward. It shares the root with related verbs like alzare and elevare. The verb is conjugated regularly in the present system with avere as the auxiliary in compound tenses (ho innalzato, hai innalzato, ha innalzato, ecc.), and its past participle is innalzato. The gerund is innalzando, and the past participle is frequently used in passive constructions (la torre è stata innalzata).

Usage notes: innalzare requires a direct object when used transitively (innalzare una barriera, innalzare le tasse, innalzare un muro). It can also appear with abstractions: innalzare i prezzi, innalzare il livello di attenzione. In the intransitive form innalzarsi, the subject rises or stands taller (la torre si innalza, il livello si innalza). Common collocations include innalzare una bandiera, innalzare un altare, innalzare gli standard.

See also: elevare, alzare, aumentare, innalzamento (the act of rising or being raised), innalzatore (one who raises, though uncommon).