Last week while browsing La Repubblica I came across an
article detailing new Italian words being put into the 2014 edition of Lo
Zingarelli, an Italian dictionary. There has been a proposal of 1,500 new
words, some of which come from Italian dialects and American slang. Some of
these new words include:
“Hashtag”- This word comes from American slang, and it is
primarily used within social media outlets like Twitter. Users place a “#” in
front of words or phrases that describe their social media post. This allows
other users to search a database that stores other postings that have used the
same words or phrases.
“Adultescente”- This word refers to young people in their
thirties whose lifestyle (study, work, home) and mentality are considered
similar to those of a teenager. This word combines the words “adulto” (adult) and
“adolescente” (adolescent).
“Videointervista”- This words means “video-interview”. It is
a word that has been common in the Italian language for a while, but only now
is it being introduced into Lo Zingarelli.
Changes in the Italian language are very fast. Massimo
Arcangeli, a linguist, has noted that it is important to keep new words under
observation for a long time so that the frequency of a word’s use and
importance in Italian society can be determined.
There are, of course, some words that have been left out of
the 2014 edition of Lo Zingarelli. Two of these omissions include:
“Iperattivi”- This
word means “hyperactive.”
“Bling Bling”- This word comes from American slang. It
refers to a style of dress that is flashy and ostentatious.
Certainly these new words, coming from different cultural
backgrounds, highlight the evolving nature of the Italian language in our
modern society.
Brittany
Sentieri Blog Contributor
