Motion on the neologism «atèfano» in the Piedmont Regional Council
Date of the event:
On 4 November 2026 the Piedmont Regional Council approved by majority vote a motion, first signed by councillor Franco Graglia (Forza Italia), to promote the spread of the neologism «atèfano». The word literally means «one who is deprived of their child» — by linguistic analogy, a «child's orphan» — and is meant to fill a gap in the Italian language, which has no specific word for the condition of parents who have lost a child. [1][2]
Origin of the term
The neologism was coined by the social promotion association «Rachele Franchelli – Uno Sguardo Senza Confini APS». The word is formed from three Greek elements: the privative prefix «à-», the root «té-» from «téknon» (child), expressing affection and bond, and the suffix «-fano», from «orphanós» (deprived, missing, orphan). [1][2]
What the motion says
With this policy motion, the Regional Council commits the regional executive (Giunta) to promoting and spreading the term «atèfano» and to acting as its advocate before the national government and institutions, in order to encourage its formal recognition and uniform use across Italy. The initiative had originally come from the Liguria Region, which had already taken up the proposal from the association named after Rachele Franchelli. [1][2]
Statements
The motion's proposer, Franco Graglia, said: «With this motion we wanted to give attention to people affected by one of the most traumatic events imaginable. Giving their pain a name means making them visible, in the hope that more and more institutions will adopt this sensitivity, with the ultimate goal of guaranteeing them protections». [1][2]
Councillor Alberto Unia (Movimento 5 Stelle) spoke in support of the proposal, stating: «When people are affected by a tragedy of this kind, it is right that those who feel the need to be defined by a specific term should be recognised». [1][2]
Those who raised awareness in Piedmont
Among the Piedmontese residents who had called for linguistic recognition of the condition of those who have lost a child are the writer Franco Zanet, former head teacher of the I.I.S. Norberto Bobbio school in Carignano, and his wife Brunella Margotta, former head teacher of the Velso Mucci vocational school in Bra. [1][2]
Related articles: Regional Council of Piedmont
Sources
- L'Agenda News — 4 November 2026
- Il Torinese — 4 November 2026