That’s an old story: ‘the neighbor’s grass is always greener,’ and so are others’ words always considered more beautiful than ours. It’s a shame because Italian is usually a much-loved, sought-after, and refined language, yet our young people tend to mistreat it, thinking that they can find in foreign words that exotic touch that (they believe) makes them appear more interesting.
And so, just as society evolves, language also changes, evolves, becomes more modern, and the space for young people takes hold more and more, increasingly forceful, especially on social media where communication 3.0 now travels at the speed of light.
There is no other choice: if you want to keep up with the times, but above all, if you want to understand what the kids of Generation Alpha are saying (yes, we’re at Generation Alpha, but I’ll talk about that later), it’s essential to know all the strange abbreviations or words used both on social media and in everyday life.
I know, maybe you’re not ready for such a big step, I wasn’t either, but if we want to keep pace, we absolutely have to ‘freshen up.’ So, let’s dive in and explore the world of the new G.A. language
Let’s start with the word SHIP.
The word “ship” in the context of social media and online culture has taken on a specific meaning. It is used as an abbreviation for “relationship.” When people use “ship” in this context, they are expressing a desire or approval for a romantic relationship between two people, often characters from a TV series, movie, or celebrities. For example, if someone says “I ship them,” it means they support or hope that two individuals become a romantic couple.
In Italy, it wouldn’t be strange to hear young people say or see them write “Li Shippo,” blending the two languages, Italian and English, to express their preference for a couple.
Let’s continue with the word CRINGE
Young Italian people recently started to use this word to indicate older people acting in a embarrassing way, so it reflects a sense of discomfort or secondhand embarrassment towards the perceived awkwardness of the actions or behaviors of the older generation, as seen from the perspective of the younger individuals.
If you’ve been told at least once that you’re “cringy,” though, don’t worry: kids find just about everything adults do embarrassing.
And what about the word BRO?
As you can imagine, that’s the abbreviation for “brother”. Teenager use it to adress to each other and it is often used as a friendly and casual term among friends, especially among young people. For example, one might say, “Hey bro, what’s up?”
The term has become a popular part of informal language and is commonly used in various social settings, including casual conversations, social media, and pop culture.
What’s wrong with it?
They also use ‘bro’ to refer to female friends. Weird, isn’t it?
My favourite, the word CRUSH
This romantic word is used with the same meaning as in English, so that’s not the way it is used we are interested in. In fact, when people have a crush on someone, it means they are attracted to them, often emotionally and romantically.
What’s curious about it is that in Italian there really is a specific word to explain it.This word is “cotta”, but youth generation likes to say “ho una crush per lui/lei”, blending the two languages in a very strange way.
I know. Do not say a word about it, please. 🙈
Okay, after exploring the English words that have become common among our Italian youth, I couldn’t refrain from concluding this article with two British terms that have been adopted and ‘Italianized.’ I’m talking about ‘DROPPARE‘ and ‘FLOPPARE.’ In English, the terms “droppare” and “floppare” can be translated as:
– “Droppare”: to drop or release something. In modern language, “droppare” refers to the act of uploading a photo or a video on social media and then sharing it. It is a combination of the English word “drop” and the Italian verb suffix ‘-are’.
– “Floppare”: derives from “flop” and indicates the failure or lack of success of something. For example, if a movie doesn’t perform well at the box office, it might be said to have ‘flopped’ but in recent times, this term is mainly used to refer to those videos uploaded on social platforms like TikTok that didn’t achieve the expected success.
Now that we’ve partially immersed ourselves in the world of youth language, it’s fair to ask why young people choose to use foreign words to express feelings and concepts that could be easily communicated using their own vocabulary.
Young Italians often incorporate English words into their communication for various reasons. This includes global trends, the desire for more concise and expressive language, linguistic innovation, media influence—especially on platforms like Instagram and TikTok—and an increasingly international lifestyle.
Ultimately, the use of English words can be a form of youthful expression, a way to feel connected to global culture, and a means of distinguishing themselves linguistically.
It might be their way of feeling a part of a world as vast as it is interconnected, a world that should learn to understand them a bit more, even when they speak a bit strangely 😉
Ig – @fairness_mag
