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Cosa sta succedendo alla lingua italiana?  Posted by on Nov 7, 2019 in Culture, Italian Language, Translation

Cosa sta succedendo alla lingua italiana? 

What is happening to the Italian language?

Qualche settimana fa ho usato un nuovo verbo in italiano, un mix tra l’italiano e l’inglese = spoilerare, o to spoil. Per qualche persona potrebbe sembrare impossibile mischiare tutte e due le lingue, però succede spesso. Vediamo qualche altra parola in italiano derivata dall’inglese. 

A few weeks ago I used a new verb in Italian, a mix between Italian and English = spoilerare, or to spoil. For some people this could seem impossible to mix the two languages, however it happens often. Let’s see some other words in Italian that are derived from English.

*The actual Italian equivalent is in parentheses.

Bluffare – to bluff  (Fingere)

Trollare – to troll (Non c’è una traduzione specifica.. there isn’t a specific translation.) 

Un feeling – a feeling (used with relationships… abbiamo un bel feeling. Rapporto.)

Schedulare – to schedule (programmare) 

Checkare – to check (controllare)

Switchare – to switch (scambiare, commutare)

Quittare – to quit (uscire) 

Killare – to kill (uccidere)

Implementare – to implement (attuare)

Splittare – to split (dividere)

Ci sono tante parole di questo tipo, in questa pagina sono presente le più utilizzate:  

There are many words like this, this webpage presents the most useful:

https://www.myenglishschool.it/magazine/2017/03/02/glossario-le-parole-inglesi-piu-utilizzate-in-italiano/

Questo fenomeno, chiamato “interferenza linguistica”, è sempre stato presente in ogni lingua di mondo, e a causa della tecnologia, oggi succede ancora più spesso. La lingua cambia sempre, soprattutto quella dei giovani. Ma quand’è che ci si dovrebbe preoccupare? La lingua italiana, la quarta lingua più studiata al mondo grazie alla sua bellezza, diventa l’itanglese? Questo fenomeno è una cosa negativa, che dovrebbe essere combattuta, o una cosa positiva che dovrebbe essere accettata?

This phenomenon, called “language transfer“, has always been present in every language of the world, and because of technology, today it happens even more often. Languages always changes, above all the language of youth. But at what point should we be worried? The Italian language, the fourth most studied language in the world thanks to its beauty, is becoming “Italglish”? Is this phenomenon a negative thing, that should be fought against, or is it a positive thing that should be accepted?

C’è un TedTalk in cui Annamaria Testa parla proprio di questo fenomeno: Bello to biutiful: what’s going on with the Italian language? 

There is a TedTalk in which Annamaria Testa talks about this phenomenon: Bello to biutiful: what’s going on with the Italian language? 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wr2YJoQeYsE&feature=youtu.be

Pseudoanglicismi – Pseudo-anglicisms 

C’è anche un fenomeno linguistico che si chiama “pseudoanglicismo” dove in italiano si usa un’espressione in “finto” inglese che in inglese non ha senso. 

There is also a linguistic phenomenon that is called “pseudo-anglicism” where in Italian one can use a “fake” English expression, that really makes no sense in English. 

Ad esempio, for example:

Allenatore sportivo = Coach in inglese, Mister in “pseudoinglese”

Asilo nido = Child care center in inglese, Baby parking in “pseudoinglese”

Operatore di vendite = Salesman in inglese, Sales account in “pseudoinglese”

Mutandine = Panties in inglese, Slip in “pseudoinglese”

Tocca a voi! Come in italiano, l’interferenza linguistica avviene anche in inglese. Potete pensare degli esempi di parole straniere utilizzate in inglese?

Your turn! Like in Italian, language transfer also occurs in English. Can you think of examples of foreign words used in English?

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About the Author: Bridgette

Just your average Irish-American Italo-Francophone. Client Engagement for Transparent Language.


Comments:

  1. Sybille Stephenson:

    Ciao,
    Naturalmente c’è l’interferenza linguistica con l’italiano in ogni lingua europea (e anche fuori dell’Europa). Chi non conosce “pizza”, “spaghetti”, “tortellini” etc., ma anche “pasta” in inglese (non proprio nelle altre lingue), ciabatta, panini (che si utilizza come si fosse singolare in inglese: “a panini”). In tedesco e in francese, tutti dicono “ciao” (anche se in tedesco è permesso scrivere “tschau”). In Inghilterra si può ordinare “a latte”, lo che significa una specie di caffellatte, etc.
    A proposito, “un slip”, secondo me, non è pseudoinglese ma la parola tedesca che significa, giustamente, mutandine.

  2. Leila:

    Great examples. I love your blog posts, especially that you write in Italian first and then give us the English translation: very useful.

    And, of course, there’s ‘stop’ and ‘relax’ (for ‘relaxation’). And ‘childminder’. And ‘curry’, with its distinctive Italian pronunciation.

    There are also examples of Italian words that, in English, have adopted our spelling rules: ‘one panini/ two paninis’; and ‘a bag of zucchinis’ would be examples.

    I’m also interested in changes I am noticing in grammar, although I have to say that, in both languages, local and social factors also come into play. The obvious example would be the dying use of the subjunctive/congiuntivo (still used more in American than British English). I have one Italian friend who always correct me on this; another who just looks puzzled if I mention it. And English friends who say ‘If I was you …’.

    When I was a child sixty years ago, it was drilled into me that one says, ‘If one does …’, (or better still, ‘if one were to do …’ ) and so on. And I’m noticing the same use of the second person singular more and more in the Italian I hear, at least as it is spoken locally (in my part of southern Italy). The grammar of local dialects may also be influencing things, as it certainly is in English, especially in what we really have (or one really has 🙂 ) to call the ‘dialects’ of cities like London where I am from.
    I love these changes. They just demonstrate how alive all spoken languages are.

  3. Leila:

    Great examples. I love your blog posts, especially that you write in Italian first and then give us the English translation: very useful.

    Lots and lots of English-derived words in Italian, especially in the field of technology. And tourism. And, of course, in daily life, like ‘stop’ and ‘relax’ (for ‘relaxation’). And ‘childminder’. And ‘curry’, with its distinctive Italian pronunciation.

    There are also lots of examples of Italian words that, in English, have adopted our spelling rules: ‘one panini/ two paninis’; and ‘a bag of zucchinis’ would be examples.

    I’m also interested in changes I am noticing in grammar, although I have to say that, in all languages, local and social factors also come into play. The obvious example would be the dying use in both English and Italian of the subjunctive/ congiuntivo (still used more in American than British English). I have one Italian friend who always corrects me on this; another who just looks puzzled if I mention it. And English friends who say ‘If I was you …’.

    When I was a child sixty years ago, it was drilled into me that you (i.e. ‘one’) ought to say, ‘If one does …’, (or better still, ‘if one were to do …’ ) and so on. And I’m noticing people using the second person in the same way in the Italian I hear, at least as it is spoken locally (in my part of southern Italy). The grammar of local dialects may also be influencing things, as it certainly is in English, especially in what we really have (or one 🙂 really has) to call the ‘dialects’ of cosmopolitan cities like London where I am from.

    I love these changes. They just demonstrate how alive all spoken languages are. We really have three versions of language: written, spoken and now texting and, generally speaking, most of us know how to use all three. It’s great.


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