Rossella Pannain

Rossella Pannain is an Associate Professor of Linguistics and Glottology (L-Lin/01) at the Department of Literary, Linguistic and Comparative Studies, Faculty of Languages, University of Naples L'Orientale, where she has been teaching since November 2000. She teaches General Linguistics and Cognitive Approaches to Vocabulary courses for Linguistic and Cultural Mediation and Specialist Translation programs.

• PhD in Linguistics from University of Pisa (1992)
• Graduated with honors in Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures (1986)
• Member of editorial board for AIΩN Linguistica journal since 2001
• Vice-director of Department of Studies of the Ancient Classical World and Mediterranean (2007-2012)

Professor Pannain's research focuses on cognitive linguistics with particular emphasis on metonymy, word formation processes, and linguistic typology. Her work spans both theoretical aspects of linguistic structures and their practical applications in contemporary discourse. She has made significant contributions to understanding how language reflects and shapes cognitive processes, particularly in specialized lexical fields such as numerals, classifiers, and political communication.

Her recent publications demonstrate a clear evolution from traditional linguistic typology toward analysis of contemporary discourse phenomena, especially related to political communication and pandemic discourse. The past five years have seen her research increasingly focused on how language functions in high-stakes communication contexts, including government speeches, election campaigns, and public health crises. This reflects a broader trend in linguistics toward examining language in real-world contexts with practical social implications.

Professor Pannain has been actively involved in numerous national research projects including PRIN 2000 on numerical systems, PRIN 2002 on linguistic terminology, PRIN 2005 on thematic linguistic atlases, PRIN 2017 on ancient languages in contact, and PRIN 2020 on metalinguistic texts for ancient languages. She is also a member of the ALMA project (Atlante Linguistico Multimediale della diversità Alimentare) and has participated in international research on conceptual metonymy.

Her teaching portfolio includes General Linguistics, Cognitive Linguistics, Psycholinguistics, and Descriptive Models of Languages. She has previously served as Director of the Master's program in Linguistics and Specialist Translation (2009-2012) and has been instrumental in developing curriculum that bridges theoretical linguistics with practical applications in translation and cultural mediation.