The Italian language is in danger of losing its beauty and complexity, language experts have warned, as writing becomes increasingly simplistic and people rely on an ever-smaller range of vocabulary with which to express themselves. Italian, as its students know, is a complex language with many fascinating words.

But many of these words are now falling out of use, and apparently our brief communications in the digital age are at least partly to blame. Editors at the Zanichelli publishing house have drawn up a list of lesser-used words in serious danger of disappearing from the written language altogether, and launched an unusual campaign to save them.