spandere

Spandere is a verb in Italian, with roots in Latin, that means to spread, scatter, or extend. In modern Italian it is mainly used as a transitive verb with an object, for example spando la crema sulla torta or spandere la voce (to spread the word). It can also describe the dispersion of intangible things, such as light or scent, in intransitive phrases like la luce si spandeva or l’aroma si spandeva nell’aria.

Etymology and usage

The Italian verb derives from the Latin spāndere, which carried senses of stretching, spreading, or extending. Over time it broadened in Italian to cover both physical spreading and the dissemination of information or effects. The term appears in literary and historical texts with senses related to extending across space or among people, and in modern usage it remains relatively formal or literary compared with more common synonyms like diffondere or spargere.

Grammar and forms

In Italian, spandere is a regular -ere verb. Present indicative forms are spando, spandi, spande, spandiamo, spandete, spandono. Imperfect forms are spandevo, spandevi, spandeva, spandavamo, spandavate, spandevano. The future tense is spanderò, spanderai, spanderà, spanderemo, spanderete, spanderanno, and the past participle is spanduto, with the gerund spandendo. The reflexive form spandersi exists and is used in contexts like la luce si spandeva (the light spread).

Cognates and related terms

The verb has cognates in other Romance languages and shares its root with the English architectural term spandrel, which ultimately derives from the same root meaning to spread or extend.

See also

Spandrel (architecture) as an English term that traces to the same root.