“Hitch-hiking“,”Beauty Case“,”footing” And “Box” They are words commonly used in the Italian language, but they are not English as it would seem. These words are pseudo -agenicism: words that they seem English But that, in reality, they are not, or if they exist they have a different meaning. This phenomenon is the perfect reflection ofevolution of a language through loans, adaptations And reinterpretations. They are called pseudo -clicks because they are words coined in other languages on the basis of English lexical elements, thus creating terms that “play” English, even if in all respects they are not. In Italian, they are widespread in different sectors, from fashion to sport, from technology to leisure.
Examples of pseudo -clicicisms
Hitch-hiking
The term “hitch-hiking“It is used in Italian to indicate the famous practice of asking for a passage on the roadside vehicles in transit, but in English for the same concept it is used”Hitchhiking“. The origin of” hitchhiking “is attributed to French “Auto-Stop”, which combines “cars” (car) and “stop” (stop); It was also adopted in Italian in 1947, maintaining the same shape and meaning.
Beauty Case
The “Beauty Case“It is an object known to all that refers to Italian to a case or a small suitcase for beauty and hygiene products. However, in English, the correct term is”Vanity Case“or”toilet bag“. The expression” beauty case “is a pseudo -clicicism that entered the Italian lexicon between the 1950s and 1960s, often used in the advertisements of leather shops, born in France and from there spread all over the world.
In Italian, “footing“It indicates the running activity for pleasure or health. In English, however, the equivalent term is”jogging“, Equally famous. Also in this case the origin of the term at the end of the 19th century is due to France, combining” football “(foot) with the suffix” -ing “. This pseudo-cluster then spread in Italy between the 1920s and 1930s.
Box
Also “box“It is considered a pseudo -clicism in Italian because, although deriving from the English” box “which means” box “, it has taken on different meanings not present in the English of current use. In Italian,” box “can refer to a small cars or a child’s enclosure, while in English the correct terms would be respectively”garage” And “Playpen“.” Box “entered the Italian thanks to the French 19th century French, deriving from the English phrase” Box Stall “, which indicated a wooden fence to separate the animals in a stable or stable. Then, in Italian, the term extended its meaning to include the space reserved for cars.
Pile
Also the term “pile“, Which we use to describe a soft and warm synthetic fabric, usually used in the sports environment, is a pseudo -clicicism: its adoption in Italian probably dates back to the 80s, when the fabric became popular in the clothing sector derives from the English” batteries “, which means” hair “, but in its language what we indicate as a fabric is known as”Fleece“or”Polar Fleece“.
