AND “respect“ the word of 2024, according to Treccani. The Institute of the Italian Encyclopedia has chosen this word for the communication campaign #words are worth itwhich aims to promote correct and conscious use of the language.
The term was selected among many “due to its extreme relevance and social relevance”, as underlined by Treccani, who defines the respect as “a feeling and attitude of esteem, attention, respect towards a person, an institution, a culture, which can be expressed with actions or words”.
The former director of the lexicography section of Treccani Valeria Della Valle and the former collaborator of the Institute and member of the Accademia della Crusca Giuseppe Patota they stated:
This word should be asked at the center of every pedagogical project from early childhood, and then spread in relationships between people, in the family and at work, in relationships with civil and religious institutions, with politics and with the opinions of others, in international relations.
According to the two directors the word “respect”, a continuation of the Latin respectfulshould be reevaluated because lack of respect is the basis of the violence exercised daily towards women, minorities, institutions, nature and the animal world.
Della Valle and Patota continue:
It is very significant that the expressions of the Italian language that contain the word respect are very numerous: from having respect for someone, someone or something to lacking respect, from all respect to with due respect, gradually up to the formula ‘with all due respect’, unfortunately often used improperly in political controversy as a premise for verbal attacks aggressive, offensive and violent, or the expression men of respect, sadly known for indicating those affiliated with the mafia.
If up to now we have used this word thousands of times and often inappropriately, now we have a good reason to give it the right weight againboth from the semantic point of view and the intent of civil commitment.
