From ‘Lockdown’ to ‘No-Fly Zone’. Words that have an Impact on Lives

During historical periods like the ones we are experiencing today with the pandemic and war, people feel threatened and unstable, leading them to seek a sense of belonging in a greater international community. This is why sharing a common language becomes a way of feeling closer and part of a shared destiny. As linguists, we must pay attention to this phenomenon, as the excessive use of foreign words, especially English, as we are witnessing today, puts many languages at risk of extinction. The present survey specifically addresses these issues, aiming to understand how the adoption of loan words affects language use. The quantitative analysis revealed that approximately 10% of the words used by Italian journalists in articles, editorials and commentaries on Ukraine war are in English, while around 2% of the words are in Russian. The qualitative analysis demonstrated that there has been a shift from words related to the pandemic to words connected with the war, transitioning from ‘lockdown’ to ‘no-fly zone’.