{"id":1271,"date":"2023-06-20T13:57:31","date_gmt":"2023-06-20T13:57:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peterluntz.com\/?p=1271"},"modified":"2024-06-20T16:10:29","modified_gmt":"2024-06-20T16:10:29","slug":"anglicisms-italian-what-the-most-used-english-words-in-italy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/peterluntz.com\/en\/anglicisms-italian-what-the-most-used-english-words-in-italy\/","title":{"rendered":"Anglicisms in Italian, which English words are used the most in Italy?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n

Anglicisms in Italian, which English words are used the most in Italy?<\/h1>\n

In the last few decades, the Italian language has evolved and been enriched by many English words. In linguistics, foreign terms used in another language are called loanwords and\u00a0anglicisms\u00a0<\/strong>refer specifically to words or expressions borrowed from English and integrated into another language. In Italy, anglicisms have taken on an important role in today\u2019s society, especially in the\u00a0workplace<\/a>\u00a0as well as by younger generations.<\/p>\n

Advantages and disadvantages of using English words in Italian<\/h2>\n

There is a large number of English origin words that have been adopted by the Italian language and this\u00a0trend\u00a0<\/strong>seems to be\u00a0on the rise<\/strong>. However, some Italian language scholars\u00a0criticise\u00a0<\/strong>this phenomenon, defining it as irrational behaviour which glorifies the anglophone world.<\/p>\n

But, is it really a popular practice which could irreversibly compromise the Italian language? Or is it simply a\u00a0natural process\u00a0<\/strong>of language evolution?<\/p>\n

My opinion leans more towards the\u00a0second option<\/strong>. The global diffusion of English as the common language of technology, politics and economics, together with the power of the media and the Internet, have noticeably increased the impact of this phenomenon, bringing about the inevitable mass usage of English words.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, it is also true that we could avoid the use of anglicisms\u00a0when there are viable alternatives<\/strong>\u00a0in Italian to identify concepts that are often referred to with the unnecessary use of English words, like \u201criunione\u201d instead of \u201cbriefing<\/strong>\u201d, \u201cincontro\u201d instead of \u201cmeeting<\/strong>\u201d, \u201cdirezione\u201d instead of \u201cmanagement<\/strong>\u201d, \u201crisorse umane\u201d instead of \u201cHR<\/strong>\u201d and many more, especially in the workplace.<\/p>\n

Rules for using English words in Italian<\/h2>\n

When you want to (or if you have to) use\u00a0anglicisms in Italian<\/strong>, there are two simple rules to follow.<\/p>\n

The first states that\u00a0when you use English words in Italian, they lose their final -s for plurals<\/em>: so, \u201cdividetevi in due squadre\u201d becomes \u201cdividetevi in due team\u201d not\u00a0due teams.<\/em><\/p>\n

The second rule refers to\u00a0English words which enter the Italian language directly in their plural form (e.g. jeans), these words keep the -s even in the singular form.<\/em>\u00a0So, \u201cun paio di pantaloni\u201d becomes \u201cun paio di jeans\u201d not \u201cun paio di jean\u201d.<\/p>\n

Which are the most frequently used anglicisms in Italian?<\/h2>\n

As you will be aware, one of the environments where most anglicisms are used in Italian is the workplace.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s have a look at a few examples:<\/p>\n