Borrowings from English in Italian. Functional and Pragmatic Aspects

Abstract

After the Second World War and during the American economic boom, the role of English in the world grew rapidly. English is increasingly used as the language of interstate relations in newly established international organisations and in intercultural and scientific exchanges. It is changing and simplifying to facilitate communication, which is why it has been chosen as the official language of such a global communication tool as the Internet. Modern mass media operate with information flows from all over the world. Italian online publications tend to use English-language sources from international news agencies. Sometimes they do not translate certain words. Instead, they use their foreign-language form to attract the attention of the audience. The article identifies eight main functions of Anglicisms in general. These are nominative, differential, integrative, euphemistic, expressive, manipulative, linguistic economy and linguistic fashion orientation. Three of these functions — nominative, integrative and differential — are considered to be linguistic in nature, as they are said to satisfy speakers’ needs for new or alternative linguistic means. The other five functions — integrative, euphemistic, expressive, manipulative and orientation towards fashion and prestige — are pragmatic and based on speakers’ psychological needs. The reasons for the adoption of Anglicisms are related to their functions.