Anglicisms in Ladin: Loanwords and Local Perceptions

Abstract

Italy counts approximately 12 minority groups within its territory. Among these are the Ladins located in the Autonomous Provinces of Trento and Bolzano. This thesis is the first known sociolinguistic research on English loanword usage in Ladin publications and broadcasts, and individual perceptions of their use. Its findings were acquired from a survey of one Italian Ladin community’s perception of the use of Anglicisms. Combined, we find that many of the English loanwords being borrowed by Ladins are associated with technology, tourism, and business. Moreover, we find that while Ladins are critical of the use of loanwords, they do not perceive English as a threat to the preservation of the Ladin language. In addition, we find our sample is divided over whether new Ladin lexicon should be created to limit borrowing.