A case-study on proper nouns formed by exit in Contemporary Italian

Abstract

This paper investigates the emergence and development of -(e)xit formations in Contemporary Italian, focusing on their morphotactic structure and the micro-diachronic evolution of the “morphemised splinter” (Lalić-Krstin & Silaški 2019) -(e)xit over the period 2014–2024. Drawing on data from two large web corpora (Italian TenTen 2020 and Italian Trends; Jakubíček et al. 2013; Herman et al. 2025), the study distinguishes between complex loanwords (e.g. Brexit) and Anglo-Italian hybrid formations (e.g. Italexit) (Seifart 2015). The analysis reveals a sharp increase in the formation of new types around 2016, followed by a gradual decline in the final years considered. Most -(e)xit types are ephemeral, many are hapax legomena, and others show limited persistence over time. From a morphotactic perspective, the pattern displays considerable variation: complex loanwords tend to be shorter and rely on splinters, whereas hybrid formations are typically longer and favour lexical roots.