The powerful role of words describing Brexodus

Abstract

This paper aims at highlighting the Brexodus phenomenon from a linguistic point of view, carrying out an investigation about the main terminology adopted by the uk and us online press to explain the leaving of businesses from the uk after Brexit. A linguistic study can highlight how many new words have been coined since the beginning of Brexodus, when the first rumours about Brexit started in 2012. In fact, several Brexit-related new words have been created, such as Irexit, Italeave, Scoxit, Swexit, Merkelexit and Megxit, but also pre-existing words have an important role in describing Brexodus, especially because of their negative connotation.
Surely, words have had a powerful role in describing Brexodus, because they are the main vehicles that have made Brexodus known worldwide. These words are not simply “descriptive words”, but powerful terms which are able to transmit the sense of loneliness and fear of so many businesses in the UK.