The War on Neologisms in the Italian Language

Globalization has become an agent of socioeconomic and communicative integration and today it envelops all aspects of human life. The quasi-immediate exchange of information that surpasses the now ancient barriers of time and space has triggered a sociocultural revolution with perceptible effects on the linguistic characteristics that are at the core of collective and individual identities. Among the most noticeable cultural changes are neologisms, which are often at the center of heated linguistic debates. Some claim that the increased use of neologisms in the Italian language is a natural component of the fluctuating nature of a language and that their use enriches it. Linguistic purists take a more conservative stance and view neologisms as a linguistic enemy who blurs the distinctive differences among languages and robs them of their uniqueness. Neologisms are a mirror of contemporary Italian society and their use entails an often subconscious support of certain social currents.