American political discourse may have spawned Scalito,
Fitzmas,
and Miered,
but it looks like Italy is way ahead of the U.S. in the neologizing game. The Telegraph
reports on the publication of a new dictionary of Italian neologisms (2006 parole nuove by Valeria
Della Valle and Giovanni Adamo), which includes dozens of coinages
based on the names of political leaders. Not suprisingly, the largest
number of neologisms have been derived from the name of Prime Minister Silvio
Berlusconi, who has dominated the country's political landscape since his
election in 2001 (an unusually long ministerial tenure for Italy). According to
Guido Bonsaver, fellow of Italian at Pembroke College, Oxford, "All
these new words are very much the result of the spirit of resentment
that has evolved around Berlusconi. It is a way of expressing anger or
irony."
Here are the Berlusconi neologisms listed in the Telegraph article and an accompanying sidebar:
• berluschese: the populist political language Berlusconi speaks
• berluschista: a supporter of Berlusconi
• berlusconardo: someone who is in the close circle of Berlusconi
• berlusconeide: relating to Berlusconi's "epic" political journey or career
• berlusconite: a condition, illness or syndrome of someone who is excessively optimistic, who tends to distort fact and reality to paint a rosier picture, typical some say, of Berlusconi
• berlusconizzante: seeking to behave, act like, or carry oneself like Berlusconi
• berlusconizzare: to turn something into Berlusconi's property; or, to adopt the strategies of Berlusconi
• berlusconizzarsi: to behave like Berlusconi; or, to succumb to the style of Berlusconi
• berlusconizzato: "berlusconised," used to describe a convert to Berlusconi's ideas or an entrant to his circle
• neoberlusconismo: Berlusconi's latest brand of political thought
• postberlusconiano: that which comes after Berlusconi
A full list in Italian, including a number of neologisms based on the names of Berlusconi's colleagues and rivals, is provided by the newspaper Corriere Della Sera.
Posted by Benjamin Zimmer at November 25, 2005 01:19 PM