37.1273, Confs: Tastes of Language: Past and Present Italian Culinary Discourse in Anglophone Contexts (Italy)

[The LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List: Vol-37-1273. Tue Mar 31 2026. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 37.1273, Confs: Tastes of Language: Past and Present Italian Culinary Discourse in Anglophone Contexts (Italy)

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Date: 28-Mar-2026
From: Fabio Ciambella [fabio.ciambella at unirona1.it]
Subject: Tastes of Language: Past and Present Italian Culinary Discourse in Anglophone Contexts


Tastes of Language: Past and Present Italian Culinary Discourse in
Anglophone Contexts

Date: 17-Sep-2026 - 18-Sep-2026
Location: Roma, Italy
Contact: Fabio Ciambella
Contact Email: fabio.ciambella at uniroma1.it

Linguistic Field(s): Applied Linguistics; Discourse Analysis;
Historical Linguistics; Sociolinguistics; Text/Corpus Linguistics
Subject Language(s): English (eng)
                     Italian (ita)

Submission Deadline: 30-Apr-2026

This conference seeks to explore the dynamic and complex ways in which
Italian culinary discourse was and is constructed, translated, and
consumed within Anglophone contexts. The journey of Italian food
language, from recipe titles, ingredient names, and menu descriptions
to broader gastronomic narratives, presents a rich area for
interdisciplinary study, as it crosses linguistic and cultural
borders.
We are interested in examining the linguistic, semiotic, and cultural
transformations that occur when the microlanguage of Italian food
enters English-speaking spheres, both in the past and now. This
includes, among others, the processes of domestication and
foreignisation of Italian culinary terms, the role of media (from
early cookbooks to blogs, television and social media) in shaping
perceptions, and the construction of authenticity and identity through
food language. This conference aims to bring together scholars from
various fields – from translation studies to sociolinguistics,
historical linguistics and discourse analysis, from food and cultural
studies to culinary anthropology – to investigate how the tastes of
language were and are perceived, interpreted, and ultimately, eaten by
an Anglophone audience.
Possible contributions may address:
 - Translation and adaptation of Italian recipe texts and cookbooks
into English,
 - Authenticity and identity: The role of language in constructing or
challenging notions of ‘authentic’ Italian
food for an Anglophone audience,
 - Lexical borrowing and code-switching/-mixing/translanguaging: The
use and function of Italian culinary loanwords in Anglophone food
writing, both from historical and contemporary perspectives,
 - The role of ELF in spreading Italian culinary language in global
Englishes,
 - Neologisms and hybridity: The creation of new, hybrid culinary
terms and food concepts in English based on Italian originals (e.g.,
Italo-American, Indo-Italian, Aussie-Italian dishes, etc.),
 - Menu semantics and discourse: Analysis of how menus in
English-speaking countries represent or market Italian cuisine,
 - The language of food critique: Analysis of reviews and critiques of
Italian restaurants in Anglophone print and digital media,
 - Media and culinary representation: The linguistic and visual
portrayal of Italian food on Anglophone television, films, and social
media platforms.
Potential contributors are invited to submit their abstract (150-200
words in English, the conference’s working language) for a 20-minute
paper and their bio (100 words) electronically to
fabio.ciambella at uniroma1.it by April 30, 2026. Submissions should
include the title and abstract of the paper, the contributor/s’s name,
and their affiliation/s. Selected papers will be considered for
publication.



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