Society and social sciences
Lexicon is the most changeable and multifaceted level of language analysis, strongly influenced by socio-cultural innovations that originate from outside the linguistic context. This study aims to provide, for the first time, a systematic analysis of Italian lexicon relating to the LGBT+ semantic sphere from multiple, previously unpublished perspectives. It will therefore undertake a historical reconstruction of the birth and development of this lexicon in our language, starting from changes in social sensitivity towards topics that were previously silenced. It will then explore diaphasic issues related to LGBT+ lexicon and issues of reception of this terminology set by Italian dictionaries. It will also analyse the morphological processes of lexical enrichment that underlie all innovations on the subject, especially since the beginning of the new millennium. Finally, it will analyse all LGBT+ entries collected from various lexicographical repertoires analysed for the research.
Synopsis source: Mimesisedizioni.it
Publication date: 8 November 2024
Elena Pepponi (Rome, 1993) is a linguist and researcher specialising in lexicography and gender communication. After graduating from Padua University and obtaining her PhD from Udine University, she is now a research fellow at the University of Florence. Her studies focus on inclusive language and the evolution of LGBT+ vocabulary in Italy. In 2024, she published Parole arcobaleno (Mimesis), an essay that traces the history of queer vocabulary in Italy. The work was presented at the Turin Book Fair and has become a reference point in the debate on language as a tool for social change.
