Neapolitan language: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 11:36, 1 January 2026

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Script error: No such module "Unsubst". Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".<templatestyles src="Template:Infobox/styles-images.css" />Script error: No such module "Check for conflicting parameters".

Neapolitan (autonym: Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "IPA".; Template:Langx) is a Romance language of the Southern Italo-Romance group spoken in most of continental Southern Italy. It is named after the Kingdom of Naples, which once covered almost the entirety of the area. On 14 October 2008, a law by the Region of Campania acknowledged that Neapolitan was to be protected.^[1]

While the language group is native to much of continental Southern Italy or the former Kingdom of Naples, the terms Neapolitan, napulitano or napoletano may instead refer to the specific variety natively spoken in Naples and the immediately surrounding Naples metropolitan area and Campania region. The present article mostly deals with this variety, which enjoys a certain degree of prestige and has historically wide written attestations.^[2]^[3]

File:WIKITONGUES- Foffo speaking Neapolitan.webm

A Neapolitan native speaker recorded in Italy

Classification and standardization

File:Giambattista Basile.jpg

Giambattista Basile (1566–1632), who composed the first known collection of fairy tales with the name of Lo cunto de li cunti, that includes the earliest written versions of famous stories like the Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel and Cinderella, entirely in the Neapolitan language

Neapolitan is a Romance language that is classified as belonging to the Intermediate Southern Italian group of Italo-Romance. There are considerable differences among the various dialects, but they often show high levels of mutual intellegibility. Mutual intellegibility with different branches altogether can instead be more problematic, depending on individual exposure and linguistic factors.

More specifically, closeness to Italian, linguistically part of Tuscan, is still somewhat sharp. There are notable grammatical differences, such as Neapolitan showing an uncountable class of its own, or Italian having a richer system of conjugation for its verbs, together with complex historical phonological developments, which often obscure the cognacy of lexical items, but cross-communication can usually happen without much difficulty.

Its evolution has been similar to that of Italian and other Romance languages from their shared origin in Vulgar Latin, but in addition to this base, it clearly reflects other influxes, both by later superstrata and previous substrata, such as the Oscan language. One possibly inherited feature from Oscan might be the rhotacism of Template:IPAslink into Template:IPAslink at the beginning of a word or in between vowels: e.g. Neapolitan diece (Italian dieci, meaning "ten") is pronounced and often spelled as riece; Neapolitan pede (Italian piede, meaning "foot") is likewise pronounced and often spelled pere. Another supposedly inherited feature might be the assimilation of voiced stops into the preceding nasals that Oscan showed whenever such consonant clusters occurred: e.g. Script error: No such module "IPA". turning into Template:IPAblink as in Neapolitan onna (Italian onda, meaning "wave"); Script error: No such module "IPA". turning into Template:IPAblink as in Neapolitan chiummo (Italian piombo, meaning "lead"), both of which are much more consistently reflected in spelling. Other effects of the Oscan substratum on modern Neapolitan are postulated, but these claims are highly controversial among scholars.

Neapolitan also has a significant superstratum that consists of all the influences by other Romance languages (Aragonese, Catalan, Occitan and Franco-Provençal above all), but also by the Germanic languages, and especially by the Greek language. Because of the prestige that standard Italian started to have throughout the Italian peninsula already from the 12th to 13th centuries, Neapolitan never had a true chance to be fully standardized, and as a result there exist terms in Neapolitan showing multiple forms, such as the word for tree which can take four different spellings: Template:Wikt-lang, Template:Wikt-lang, Template:Wikt-lang, Template:Wikt-lang.

Neapolitan has enjoyed a rich literary, theatrical, cinematographic, and also musical history (notably Giambattista Basile, Eduardo Scarpetta, Eduardo De Filippo, Salvatore Di Giacomo Ferdinando Russo and Totò). Thanks to this important heritage, together with the work of artists like Renato Carosone in the 1950s, and Pino Daniele from the 1970s and 1980s onwards, Neapolitan is still widely in use today for popular music not only around the area of Naples, but it has increasingly gained acceptance even at the national scale.

The language has no official status within Italy and it is not taught in schools. The University of Naples Federico II offers (from 2003) courses in Campanian Dialectology at the faculty of Sociology, whose aim is not to teach students the language, but to study its history, usage, literature and social role. There are also ongoing legislative attempts to have it listed as an official minority language of Italy, but it is currently just a recognized ISO 639 Joint Advisory Committee language with the ISO 639-3 language code of nap.

Here is an IPA pronunciation table of Neapolitan as spoken in the city of Naples:

English	Italian (standard)	Neapolitan (standard)	Neapolitan (diacritics)	IPA (Neapolitan)
Our Father who art in heaven,	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "IPA".
hallowed be thy name	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "IPA".
Thy kingdom come,	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "IPA".
Thy will be done,	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "IPA".
on earth as it is in heaven.	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "IPA".
Give us this day our daily bread	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "IPA".
and forgive us our trespasses	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "IPA".
as we forgive those who trespass against us,	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "IPA".
and lead us not into temptation,	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "IPA".
but deliver us from evil.	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "IPA".
Amen.	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "IPA".

Orthography and phonology

Neapolitan orthography consists of 22 Latin letters. Much like what happens for Italian, it does not contain k/w/x/y, although these letters might be found in foreign words. Yet unlike Italian, it does employ j, which overall reflects a higher incidence of this sound. The following English pronunciation guidelines are based on General American pronunciation, and the values used may not apply to other dialects. (See also: International Phonetic Alphabet chart for English dialects.)

All Romance languages are closely related. Although Neapolitan varieties share a high degree of their vocabulary with standard Italian, the official language of Italy, several differences in pronunciation can make the connection almost unrecognizable: one of such distinguishing features is undoubtably the Neapolitan weakening of unstressed vowels into schwa (the sound that a takes in about). Nonetheless, the majority of Neapolitan speakers is used to speak the proscribed national language for communication, even if they very often pronounce standard Italian with a distinctive local accent: for example, another typical characteristic which is more consistently transferred from Neapolitan into Italian is the palatalization of Template:IPAblink (like the s in sip) into Template:IPAblink (like the sh in ship), which occurs whenever Template:IPAslink occurs in an initial position followed by a consonant (yet the set of consonants triggering this phonological shift changes from dialect to dialect).

The grammar is what mostly sets Neapolitan apart from Italian. For instance, the gender and number of a word are expressed through a system of metaphony in the stressed vowel, since the final vowels in the suffix are no longer distinguished (e.g. Neapolitan luongo Script error: No such module "IPA"., longa Script error: No such module "IPA".; Italian Script error: No such module "Lang"., Script error: No such module "Lang".; masc. "long", fem. "long"; Neapolitan franzese Script error: No such module "IPA"., franzise Script error: No such module "IPA".; Italian Script error: No such module "Lang"., Script error: No such module "Lang".; sing. "French", pl. "French").

Neapolitan seems to have had a significant influence on the intonation of Rioplatense Spanish, which is spoken in a major portion of Argentina, in addition to the entire country of Uruguay, but also on that of the Paulistano dialect from in and around the area of São Paulo in Brazil, even though such varieties received substantial influxes from other regional Italian languages as well.

Vowels

While there are only five graphic vowels in Neapolitan, phonemically, there are eight. Stressed vowels Script error: No such module "Lang". and Script error: No such module "Lang". can be either "closed" or "open" and the pronunciation is different for the two. The grave accent (Script error: No such module "Lang"., Script error: No such module "Lang"., Script error: No such module "Lang".) is used to denote open vowels, and the acute accent (Script error: No such module "Lang"., Script error: No such module "Lang"., Script error: No such module "Lang"., Script error: No such module "Lang".) is used to denote closed vowels, with alternative Script error: No such module "Lang". and Script error: No such module "Lang".. However, accent marks are not commonly used in the actual spelling of words except when they occur on the final syllable of a word, such as Script error: No such module "Lang"., Script error: No such module "Lang"., or Script error: No such module "Lang"., and when they appear here in other positions, it is only to demonstrate where the stress, or accent, falls in some words. Also, the circumflex is used to mark a long vowel where it would not normally occur (e.g. Script error: No such module "Lang". "you are").

Vowels
	Front	Central	Back
High	Template:IPA link		Template:IPA link
High-mid	Template:IPA link	Template:IPA link	Template:IPA link
Low-mid	Template:IPA link	Template:IPA link	Template:IPA link
Low		Template:IPA link

Letter	IPA	Pronunciation guide
Script error: No such module "Lang".	Template:IPAslink~Template:IPAblink Template:IPAslink	a is usually open and is pronounced like the a in father when it is the final, unstressed vowel, its pronunciation is indistinct and approaches the sound of the schwa
Script error: No such module "Lang".	Template:IPAslink Template:IPAslink Script error: No such module "IPA".	stressed, open e is pronounced like the e in bet stressed, closed e is pronounced like the a in fame except that it does not die off into ee unstressed e is pronounced as a schwa
Script error: No such module "Lang".	Template:IPAslink Template:IPAslink Script error: No such module "IPA".	stressed, open o is pronounced like the o in often stressed, closed o is pronounced like the o in closed except that it does not die off into oo unstressed o is pronounced as a schwa
Script error: No such module "Lang".	Template:IPAslink Template:IPAslink	i is always closed and is pronounced like the ee in meet when it is initial, or preceding another vowel
Script error: No such module "Lang".	Template:IPAslink Template:IPAslink	u is always closed and is pronounced like the oo in boot when it is initial, or preceding another vowel

Consonants

Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

		Labial	Dental/Alveolar		Post- alveolar	Palatal	Velar
		Labial	centralScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	sibilantScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	Post- alveolar	Palatal	Velar
Nasal		Template:IPA link	Template:IPA link			Template:IPA link
Plosive/ Affricate	voicelessScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	Template:IPA link	Template:IPA link	Template:IPA link	Template:IPA link		Template:IPA link
Plosive/ Affricate	voicedScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	Template:IPA link	Template:IPA link		Template:IPA link		Template:IPA link
Fricative	voicelessScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	Template:IPA link		Template:IPA link	Template:IPA link
Fricative	voicedScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	Template:IPA link				Template:IPA link
Lateral			Template:IPA link			Template:IPA link
Approximant		Template:IPA link				Template:IPA link
Trill/Tap			Template:IPA link ~ Template:IPA link

Letter	IPA	Pronunciation guide
p	Template:IPAslink Script error: No such module "IPA".	pronounced the same as the p in English spill (not as the p in pill, which is aspirated) voiced after m
b	Template:IPAslink	pronounced the same as in English, always geminated when preceded by a vowel
t	Template:IPAslink Script error: No such module "IPA".	dental version of the English t as in stop (not as the t in top, which is aspirated) voiced after n
d	Template:IPAslink	dental version of the English d
c	Template:IPAslink~Template:IPAblink Template:IPAblink Template:IPAslink Template:IPAblink	when followed by e or i the pronunciation is somewhere between the sh in share and the ch in chore, especially after a vowel otherwise it is like the k in scan (not like the c in can, which is aspirated) in both cases voiced after n
g	Script error: No such module "IPA"., Script error: No such module "IPA".	when followed by e or i the pronunciation is like the g of gem, always geminated when preceded by another vowel otherwise it is like the g in get
f	Template:IPAslink	pronounced the same as in English
v	Template:IPAslink	pronounced the same as in English
s	Template:IPAslink Template:IPAblink Template:IPAblink	pronounced the same as in English sound unless it comes before a consonant other than Script error: No such module "IPA". pronounced as ds in lads after n pronounced as English z before d or after n
s	Script error: No such module "IPA". Template:IPAblink^[4]	pronounced sh when followed by a voiceless consonant (except Script error: No such module "IPA".) zh when followed by a voiced consonant (except Script error: No such module "IPA".)
z	Template:IPAslink Script error: No such module "IPA".	unvoiced z (not occurring after n) is pronounced like the ts in jetsam voiced z is pronounced like the ds in lads after n
j	Template:IPAslink	referred to as a semi-consonant, is pronounced like English y as in yet
l	Template:IPAslink	pronounced the same as in English
m	Template:IPAslink	pronounced the same as in English
n	Template:IPAslink	pronounced the same as in English; if followed by a consonant, it variously changes its point of articulation
r	Template:IPAslink~Template:IPAblink	when between two vowels it sounds very similar to the American t in later; it is a single tap of a trilled r;Template:Category handler Template:Category handler^{[<span title="Script error: No such module "string".">Is it a tap or a short trill?]}Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". when at the beginning of a word or when preceded by or followed by another consonant, it is trilled
q	Script error: No such module "IPA".	represented by orthographic qu, pronounced similarly as in English, but more accurately described as pronouncing k and w simultaneously rather than sequentially
h		h is always silent and is used to differentiate words pronounced the same and otherwise spelled alike (e.g. a, ha; anno, hanno) and placed after g or c to indicate the hard sound when e or i follows (e.g. ce, che; gi, ghi)
x	Script error: No such module "IPA".	pronounced like the x in next or like the cus in raucus; this consonant sequence does not occur in native Neapolitan or Italian words

Digraphs and trigraphs

The following clusters are always geminated if vowel-following.

Letter	IPA	Pronunciation Guide
gn	Template:IPAslink	palatal version of the ni in the English onion
gl(i)	Template:IPAslink~Template:IPAblink	palatal version of the lli in the English million, most commonly realized like a strong version of y in the English yes.
sc	Template:IPAslink	when followed by e or i it is pronounced as the sh in the English ship

Grammar

File:Carnevale Scampia 01.jpg

Sample of a Neapolitan text at the Scampìa carnival.

Definite articles

Before a word beginning with a consonant:

	Singular	Plural	Uncountable
Masculine	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "Lang". C:
Feminine	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "Lang". C:	Script error: No such module "Lang".

C: indicates that the initial consonant of the following word is geminated if followed by a vowel. The reason why they are traditionally spelled with a preceding apostrophe ' is to indicate the elision of the initial sound Script error: No such module "Lang".. All these definite articles are always pronounced distinctly.

The definite article becomes Script error: No such module "Lang". before a word beginning with a vowel, which is invariable for all genders, and for all numbers.

In general, because of the systemic vowels' reduction process, which doesn't allow for an immediate words' gender identification, the tendency in Neapolitan is to specify articles before nouns even in isolation, at least more frequently than what happens in Italian, and more similarly to what happens for instance in French.

Indefinite articles

For all genders and all positions

	Masculine	Feminine
Before words beginning with a consonant	Script error: No such module "Lang".	Script error: No such module "Lang".
Before words beginning with a vowel	Script error: No such module "Lang".

These articles can be practically regarded as contracted forms deriving from the numerical pronouns meaning "one", which are uno/una/un', with elision of u in the unstressed initial position. Such development ultimately explains why in these articles, although it always happens to precede either o or a or the following initial vowel, n never undergoes gemination even after words triggering it, as in Script error: No such module "Lang". instead of Script error: No such module "Lang". ("tomorrow is another day").

Verbal conjugation

Neapolitan verbs shows four finite moods: indicative, imperative, conditional and subjunctive, the last of which has near completely died out (at least in the speech of Naples), and three non-finite modes: infinitive, gerund and participle. Each mood exhibits an active voice and a passive voice. Only Template:Wikt-lang (Eng. "to be", It. Script error: No such module "Lang".) can function as an auxiliary verb for both voices. On the contrary, Template:Wikt-lang (Eng. "to have", It. Script error: No such module "Lang".) can only be employed in the active form, whereas Template:Wikt-lang (Eng. "to come", It. Script error: No such module "Lang".) only in the passive one.

Thus, if the verb is transitive and can hence be conjugated in both the active and passive, then Script error: No such module "Lang". will be used for the former and Script error: No such module "Lang"./Script error: No such module "Lang". will be interchangeably used for the latter, while if the verb is intransitive and can hence be conjugated just in the active, then Script error: No such module "Lang"./Script error: No such module "Lang". will be interchangeably used for it.

Neapolitan

Template:Interlinear I have brought you to the hospital.

Neapolitan

Template:Interlinear I was brought home.

Neapolitan

Template:Interlinear Yesterday I went to Caserta.

Doubled initial consonants

In Neapolitan, the initial consonant of a word, which would normally be pronounced as a singleton sound, can sometimes be doubled as well. This process is referred to as syntactic gemination. It more broadly occurs across all Italo-Romance groups and even in the unrelated Finnish language.

Gemination is triggered only by a specific set of words, mainly evolving from Latin monosyllabic parts of speech, as well as from the Proto-Romance derivatives constructed from them, ultimately ending in a consonant sound, which would later be dropped after causing fortition of the following initial consonant (e.g. Script error: No such module "Lang"., "three boys", with Neap. Script error: No such module "Lang". being inherited from Lat. Script error: No such module "Lang".). Gemination is instead blocked when a pausa occurs right after the trigger word (e.g. Script error: No such module "Lang"., "give me three of them, boys!", with Script error: No such module "Lang". being apocopated for Script error: No such module "Lang".). In case the following terms begin in consonant clusters, the phenomenon only occurs if they happen to be sequences of an obstruent and a liquid consonant (e.g. Script error: No such module "Lang"., "three goats"), while it doesn't if they instead show any other consonant combination (e.g. Script error: No such module "Lang"., "three swords").

This gemination happens at the phonological level in pronunciation, but the doubling of consonants is not always reflected in spelling; many Neapolitan editions still mark such syntactic gemination in writing however, resulting in many terms spelled with initial double consonants: the expression meaning "I am crazy" may therefore be spelled either Script error: No such module "Lang"., or alternatively Script error: No such module "Lang". (regardless of its spelling, pronunciation always exhibits syntactic gemination). In both Italian and Finnish, syntactic gemination is never reflected in the standard orthography.

Words that trigger doubling in pronunciation

File:Viola Carofalo.jpg

Viola Carofalo wearing a T-shirt with Neapolitan Script error: No such module "Lang". ("I am crazy.")

The conjunctions Script error: No such module "Lang". and Script error: No such module "Lang". but not Script error: No such module "Lang". (e.g. Script error: No such module "Lang".; Script error: No such module "Lang".; but Script error: No such module "Lang".)
The prepositions Script error: No such module "Lang"., Script error: No such module "Lang"., Script error: No such module "Lang". (e.g. Script error: No such module "Lang".; Script error: No such module "Lang".; Script error: No such module "Lang".)
The negation Script error: No such module "Lang"., short for Script error: No such module "Lang". (e.g. Script error: No such module "Lang".)
Script error: No such module "Lang". (e.g. Script error: No such module "Lang".)
Script error: No such module "Lang". (e.g. Script error: No such module "Lang".)
Script error: No such module "Lang". (e.g. Script error: No such module "Lang".)
From the verb Script error: No such module "Lang".: Script error: No such module "Lang". (e.g. Script error: No such module "Lang".)
From the verb Script error: No such module "Lang".: Script error: No such module "Lang".; Script error: No such module "Lang".; Script error: No such module "Lang". but not Script error: No such module "Lang". (e.g. Script error: No such module "Lang".; Script error: No such module "Lang".; Script error: No such module "Lang".; Script error: No such module "Lang". but Script error: No such module "Lang".)
The locative Script error: No such module "Lang". (e.g. Script error: No such module "Lang".)
The indefinites Script error: No such module "Lang"., Script error: No such module "Lang". (e.g. Script error: No such module "Lang".; Script error: No such module "Lang".)
Interrogative Script error: No such module "Lang". and relative Script error: No such module "Lang". but not Script error: No such module "Lang". (e.g. Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang".)
The masculine uncountable definite article Script error: No such module "Lang". (e.g. Script error: No such module "Lang".)
The masculine uncountable pronoun Script error: No such module "Lang". (e.g. Script error: No such module "Lang".)
The feminine plural definite article Script error: No such module "Lang". (e.g. Script error: No such module "Lang".)
The feminine plural pronoun Script error: No such module "Lang". (e.g. Script error: No such module "Lang".)
Special case Script error: No such module "Lang".

References

↑ "Tutela del dialetto, primo via libera al Ddl campano" Template:Webarchive ("Bill to protect dialect green-lighted") from Il Denaro, economic journal of South Italy, 15 October 2008 Re Franceschiello. L'ultimo sovrano delle Due Sicilie
↑ Ledgeway, Adam. 2009. Grammatica diacronica del napoletano. Tübingen: Max Niemeyer Verlag, pp. 3, 13-15
↑ Radtke, Edgar. 1997. I dialetti della Campania. Roma: Il Calamo. pp. 39ff
↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". (in Italian)

Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

Additional sources

Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". First Course of Neapolitan Language according to the QCER CEFR with the Patronage of City of Naples realized by Dr.Massimiliano Verde "Corso di Lingua e Cultura Napoletana" with a document of study in Neapolitan Language by Dr.Verde

First public document in Neapolitan Language of the XXI century according to a text of Dr.Verde; the touristic Map of the III Municipality of Naples in Neapolitan Language:

Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

External links

Script error: No such module "Sister project links".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

Neapolitan recognized by UNESCO Template:In lang
Websters Online Dictionary Neapolitan–English
Interactive Map of languages in Italy
Neapolitan on-line radio station
Neapolitan glossary on Wiktionary
Italian-Neapolitan searchable online dictionary
Neapolitan basic lexicon at the Global Lexicostatistical Database
Grammar primer and extensive vocabulary for the Neapolitan dialect of Torre del Greco Template:Category handler^{[<span title="Script error: No such module "string".">usurped]}Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Neapolitan language and culture Template:In lang
Prosodic detail in Neapolitan Italian by Francesco Cangemi. Berlin: Language Science Press. pp. 187 Free download.
Consegnato il primo Certificato Europeo di Lingua Napoletana Template:In lang
Salvatore Argenziano. Il Dialetto Napoletano- Appunti di Grafia e Grammatica Template:In lang

Template:Naples Template:Languages of Italy Script error: No such module "Navbox". Template:Authority control

[denaro-1] "Tutela del dialetto, primo via libera al Ddl campano" Template:Webarchive ("Bill to protect dialect green-lighted") from Il Denaro, economic journal of South Italy, 15 October 2008 Re Franceschiello. L'ultimo sovrano delle Due Sicilie

[2] Ledgeway, Adam. 2009. Grammatica diacronica del napoletano. Tübingen: Max Niemeyer Verlag, pp. 3, 13-15

[3] Radtke, Edgar. 1997. I dialetti della Campania. Roma: Il Calamo. pp. 39ff

[MdF-4] Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". (in Italian)

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Neapolitan language: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 11:36, 1 January 2026

Contents

Classification and standardization

Orthography and phonology

Vowels

Consonants

Digraphs and trigraphs

Grammar

Definite articles

Indefinite articles

Verbal conjugation

Doubled initial consonants

Words that trigger doubling in pronunciation

See also

References

Additional sources

External links

Navigation menu

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 }}
 {{Infobox language
-| name             = Neapolitan
+| name = Neapolitan
-| nativename       = {{langx|nap|napulitano|label=none}}
+| nativename = {{langx|nap|napulitano|label=none}}
-| states           = [[Italy]]
+| states = Italy
-| region           = [[Campania]]
+| region = [[Abruzzo]]<br>[[Apulia]]<br>[[Basilicata]]<br>[[Calabria]]<br>[[Campania]]<br>[[Lazio]]<br>[[Marche]]<br>[[Molise]]
-| ethnicity        = ''[[Mezzogiorno]]'' [[Italians]]
+| ethnicity = ''[[Mezzogiorno]]'' [[Italians]]
-| speakers         = 5.7 million
+| speakers = around 7.5 million
-| date             = 2002
+| date = 2025
-| ref              = e18
+| familycolor = Indo-European
-| familycolor      = Indo-European
+| fam2 = [[Italic languages|Italic]]
-| fam2             = [[Italic languages|Italic]]
+| fam3 = [[Latino-Faliscan languages|Latino-Faliscan]]
-| fam3             = [[Latino-Faliscan languages|Latino-Faliscan]]
+| fam4 = [[Latin]]ic
-| fam4             = [[Latin]]ic
+| fam5 = [[Romance languages|Romance]]
-| fam5             = [[Romance languages|Romance]]
+| fam6 = [[Italo-Western languages|Italo-Western]]
-| fam6             = [[Italo-Western languages|Italo-Western]]
+| fam7 = [[Italo-Dalmatian languages|Italo-Dalmatian]]
-| fam7             = [[Italo-Dalmatian languages|Italo-Dalmatian]]
+| fam8 = [[Italo-Dalmatian languages#Italo-Romance|Italo-Romance]]
-| fam8             = [[Italo-Dalmatian languages#Italo-Romance|Italo-Romance]]
+| fam9 = [[Italo-Dalmatian languages#Intermediate Southern Italian|Intermediate Southern Italian]]
-| fam9             = [[Italo-Dalmatian languages#Southern Italo-Romance|Intermediate Southern Italian]]
+| dia1 = [[Arianese dialect|Arianese]]
-| dia1             = [[Arianese dialect|Arianese]]
+| dia2 = [[Barese dialect|Barese]]
-| dia2             = [[Barese dialect|Barese]]
+| dia3 = [[Benevento dialect|Benevento]]
-| dia3             = [[Benevento dialect|Benevento]]
+| dia4 = [[Irpinian dialect|Irpinian]]
-| dia4             = [[Cilentan dialect|Cilentan]]
+| dia5 = [[Molisan]]
-| dia5             = [[Irpinian dialect|Irpinian]]
+| dia6 = [[Southern Latian dialect|Southern Latian]]
-| dia6             = [[Molisan]]
+| dia7 = [[Tarantino dialect|Tarantino]]
-| dia7             = [[Tarantino dialect|Tarantino]]
+| dia8 = [[Vastese]]
-| dia8             = [[Southern Latian dialect|Southern Latian]]
+| dia9 = [[Languages of Calabria#Northern Calabrian (Cosentian)|Cosentian]]
-| dia9             = [[Vastese]]
+| iso2 = nap
-| dia10            = [[Castelmezzano dialect|Castelmezzano]]
+| iso3 = nap
-| dia11            = [[Languages of Calabria#Northern Calabrian (Cosentian)|Cosentian]]
+| glotto = neap1235
-| iso2             = nap
+| glottorefname = Continental Southern Italian
-| iso3             = nap
+| glottoname = Continental Southern Italian
-| glotto           = neap1235
+| glotto2 = sout3126
-| glottorefname    = Continental Southern Italian
+| glottorefname2 = South Lucanian
-| glottoname       = Continental Southern Italian
+| glottoname2 = South Lucanian = <code>(Vd)</code> Lausberg
-| glotto2          = sout3126
+| map = Neapolitan_languages-it.svg
-| glottorefname2   = South Lucanian
+| mapcaption = Southern Italo-Romance languages
-| glottoname2      = South Lucanian = <code>(Vd)</code> Lausberg
+| map2 = Romance_languages.png
-| map              = Neapolitan_languages-it.svg
+| mapcaption2 = Neapolitan as part of the European Romance languages{{image reference needed|date=November 2022}}
-| mapcaption       = Southern Italo-Romance languages
-| map2             = Romance_languages.png
-| mapcaption2      = Neapolitan as part of the European Romance languages{{image reference needed|date=November 2022}}
 }}
-'''Neapolitan''' ([[Exonym and endonym|autonym]]: {{lang|nap|('o n)napulitano}} {{IPA|nap|(o n)napuliˈtɑːnə|}}; {{langx|it|napoletano}}) is a [[Romance language]] of the [[Italo-Romance languages|Italo-Romance group]] spoken in most of continental [[Southern Italy]]. It is named after the [[Kingdom of Naples]], which once covered most of the area, and the city of [[Naples]] was its capital. On 14 October 2008, a law by the Region of [[Campania]] stated that Neapolitan was to be protected.<ref name=denaro>[http://www.denaro.it/VisArticolo.aspx?IdArt=548026 "Tutela del dialetto, primo via libera al Ddl campano"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727043316/http://www.denaro.it/VisArticolo.aspx?IdArt=548026 |date=27 July 2011 }} ("Bill to protect dialect green-lighted") from ''Il Denaro'', economic journal of South Italy, 15 October 2008 Re Franceschiello. L'ultimo sovrano delle Due Sicilie</ref>
+'''Neapolitan''' ([[Exonym and endonym|autonym]]: {{lang|nap|('o n)napulitano}} {{IPA|nap|(o n)napuliˈtɑːnə|}}; {{langx|it|napoletano}}) is a [[Romance language]] of the [[Italo-Dalmatian languages#Intermediate Southern Italian|Southern Italo-Romance group]] spoken in most of continental [[Southern Italy]]. It is named after the [[Kingdom of Naples]], which once covered almost the entirety of the area. On 14 October 2008, a law by the Region of [[Campania]] acknowledged that Neapolitan was to be protected.<ref name=denaro>[http://www.denaro.it/VisArticolo.aspx?IdArt=548026 "Tutela del dialetto, primo via libera al Ddl campano"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727043316/http://www.denaro.it/VisArticolo.aspx?IdArt=548026 |date=27 July 2011 }} ("Bill to protect dialect green-lighted") from ''Il Denaro'', economic journal of South Italy, 15 October 2008 Re Franceschiello. L'ultimo sovrano delle Due Sicilie</ref>
-While the language group is native to much of continental Southern Italy or the former Kingdom of Naples, the terms  ''Neapolitan'', ''napulitano'' or ''napoletano'' may also instead refer more narrowly to the specific [[variety (linguistics)|variety]] spoken natively in the city of Naples and the immediately surrounding [[Naples metropolitan area]] and Campania region. The present article mostly deals with this variety, which enjoys a certain degree of [[prestige (linguistics)|prestige]] and has historically wide written attestations.<ref>Ledgeway, Adam. 2009. ''Grammatica diacronica del napoletano''. Tübingen: Max Niemeyer Verlag, pp. 3, 13-15</ref><ref>Radtke, Edgar. 1997. ''I dialetti della Campania''. Roma: Il Calamo. pp. 39ff</ref>
+While the language group is native to much of continental Southern Italy or the former Kingdom of Naples, the terms ''Neapolitan'', ''napulitano'' or ''napoletano'' may instead refer to the specific [[variety (linguistics)|variety]] natively spoken in Naples and the immediately surrounding [[Naples metropolitan area]] and Campania region. The present article mostly deals with this variety, which enjoys a certain degree of [[prestige (linguistics)|prestige]] and has historically wide written attestations.<ref>Ledgeway, Adam. 2009. ''Grammatica diacronica del napoletano''. Tübingen: Max Niemeyer Verlag, pp. 3, 13-15</ref><ref>Radtke, Edgar. 1997. ''I dialetti della Campania''. Roma: Il Calamo. pp. 39ff</ref>
-== Distribution ==
+[[File:WIKITONGUES- Foffo speaking Neapolitan.webm|thumb|A Neapolitan native speaker recorded in Italy]]
-[[File:WIKITONGUES- Foffo speaking Neapolitan.webm|thumb|A Neapolitan speaker, recorded in [[Italy]]]]
-[[File:Maria_Flora_nella_canzone_%27O_pisciavinolo_-_1895.jpg|thumb|1895 song in Neapolitan.]]
-Largely due to massive Southern Italian migration in the late 19th century and 20th century, there are also a number of Neapolitan speakers in [[Italian diaspora]] communities in the [[United States]], [[Canada]], [[Australia]], [[Brazil]], [[Argentina]], [[Uruguay]], [[Mexico]], and [[Venezuela]]{{Citation needed|date=September 2023|reason=no inline citation}}. However, in the United States, traditional Neapolitan has had considerable contact with [[English language|English]] and the [[Sicilian language]]s spoken by Sicilian and Calabrian immigrants living alongside Neapolitan-speaking immigrants and so the Neapolitan in the US is now significantly different from the contemporary Neapolitan spoken in [[Naples]]{{Citation needed|date=September 2023|reason=no inline citation}}. English words are often used in place of Neapolitan words, especially among second-generation speakers{{Citation needed|date=September 2023|reason=no inline citation}}. On the other hand, the effect of [[Standard Italian]] on Neapolitan in Italy has been similar because of the increasing displacement of Neapolitan by Standard Italian in daily speech{{Citation needed|date=September 2023|reason=no inline citation}}.
-== Classification ==
+== Classification and standardization ==
-[[File:Giambattista Basile.jpg|thumb|[[Giambattista Basile]] (1566–1632), author of a [[Pentamerone|collection of fairy tales]] in Neapolitan that includes the earliest known versions of ''[[Rapunzel]]'' and ''[[Cinderella]]'']]
+[[File:Giambattista Basile.jpg|thumb|[[Giambattista Basile]] (1566–1632), who composed the first known collection of fairy tales with the name of [[Pentamerone|Lo cunto de li cunti]], that includes the earliest written versions of famous stories like the ''[[Sleeping Beauty]]'', ''[[Rapunzel]]'' and ''[[Cinderella]]'', entirely in the Neapolitan language]]
-Neapolitan is a [[Romance language]] and is considered as part of Southern Italo-Romance. There are notable differences among the various dialects, but they are all generally mutually intelligible.
+Neapolitan is a [[Romance language]] that is classified as belonging to the ''Intermediate Southern Italian'' group of Italo-Romance. There are considerable differences among the various dialects, but they often show high levels of mutual intellegibility. Mutual intellegibility with different branches altogether can instead be more problematic, depending on individual exposure and linguistic factors.
-[[Italian language|Italian]] and Neapolitan are of variable mutual comprehensibility, depending on affective and linguistic factors. There are notable grammatical differences, such as Neapolitan having nouns in the neuter form and a unique plural formation, as well as historical phonological developments, which often obscure the cognacy of lexical items.
+More specifically, closeness to [[Italian language|Italian]], linguistically part of [[Tuscan dialects|Tuscan]], is still somewhat sharp. There are notable grammatical differences, such as Neapolitan showing an uncountable class of its own, or Italian having a richer system of conjugation for its verbs, together with complex historical phonological developments, which often obscure the cognacy of lexical items, but cross-communication can usually happen without much difficulty.
-Its evolution has been similar to that of Italian and other Romance languages from their roots in [[Vulgar Latin]]. It may reflect a pre-Latin [[Oscan language|Oscan]] [[Stratum (linguistics)#Substratum|substratum]], as in the pronunciation of the ''d'' sound as an ''r'' sound ([[rhotacism (sound change)|rhotacism]]) at the beginning of a word or between two vowels: e.g. ''doje'' (feminine) or ''duje'' (masculine), meaning "two", is pronounced, and often spelled, as ''roje''/''ruje''; ''vedé'' ("to see") as ''veré'', and often spelled so; also ''cadé''/''caré'' ("to fall") and ''[[Mary, mother of Jesus|Madonna]]''/''Maronna''.<ref name="sornicola">{{cite encyclopedia |title=Campania |encyclopedia=The dialects of Italy |year=2006 |last=Sornicola |first=Rosanna |author-link=Rosanna Sornicola |editor1-last=Maiden |editor1-first=Martin |editor2-last=Parry |editor2-first=Mair |publisher=Routledge |location=London |url=http://wpage.unina.it/sornicol/Articoli/Campania.pdf |access-date=30 December 2023}}</ref> Another purported Oscan influence is the historical assimilation of the consonant cluster {{IPA|/nd/}} as {{IPA|/nn/}}, pronounced {{IPA|[nː]}} (this is generally reflected in spelling more consistently: {{Wikt-lang|nap|munno}} vs Italian {{Wikt-lang|it|mondo}} "world"; {{Wikt-lang|nap|quanno}} vs Italian {{Wikt-lang|it|quando}} "when"), along with the development of {{IPA|/mb/}} as {{IPA|/mm/}}~{{IPA|[mː]}} ({{Wikt-lang|nap|tammuro}} vs Italian {{Wikt-lang|it|tamburo}} "drum"), also consistently reflected in spelling. Other effects of the Oscan [[Substrata (linguistics)|substratum]] are postulated, but substratum claims are highly controversial. As in many other languages in the [[Italian Peninsula]], Neapolitan has an [[Stratum (linguistics)#Adstratum|adstratum]] greatly influenced by other [[Romance languages]] ([[Catalan language|Catalan]], [[Spanish language|Spanish]] and [[Franco-Provençal]] above all), [[Germanic languages]] and [[Greek language|Greek]] (both ancient and modern). The language had never been standardised, and the word for ''tree'' has three different spellings: {{Wikt-lang|nap|arbero}}, {{Wikt-lang|nap|arvero}} and {{Wikt-lang|nap|àvaro}}.
+Its evolution has been similar to that of Italian and other Romance languages from their shared origin in [[Vulgar Latin]], but in addition to this base, it clearly reflects other influxes, both by later [[Stratum (linguistics)#Superstratum|superstrata]] and previous [[Stratum (linguistics)#Substratum|substrata]], such as the [[Oscan language]]. One possibly inherited feature from Oscan might be the [[rhotacism (sound change)|rhotacism]] of {{IPAslink|d}} into {{IPAslink|r}} at the beginning of a word or in between vowels: e.g. Neapolitan ''diece'' (Italian ''dieci'', meaning "ten") is pronounced and often spelled as ''riece''; Neapolitan ''pede'' (Italian ''piede'', meaning "foot") is likewise pronounced and often spelled ''pere''. Another supposedly inherited feature might be the [[Assimilation (phonology)|assimilation]] of voiced stops into the preceding nasals that Oscan showed whenever such consonant clusters occurred: e.g. {{IPA|[nd]}} turning into {{IPAblink|nː}} as in Neapolitan ''onna'' (Italian ''onda'', meaning "wave"); {{IPA|[mb]}} turning into {{IPAblink|mː}} as in Neapolitan ''chiummo'' (Italian ''piombo'', meaning "lead"), both of which are much more consistently reflected in spelling. Other effects of the Oscan substratum on modern Neapolitan are postulated, but these claims are highly controversial among scholars.
-Neapolitan has enjoyed a rich literary, [[Neapolitan music|musical]] and theatrical history (notably [[Giambattista Basile]], [[Eduardo Scarpetta]], his son [[Eduardo De Filippo]], [[Salvatore Di Giacomo]] and [[Totò]]). Thanks to this heritage and the musical work of [[Renato Carosone]] in the 1950s, Neapolitan is still in use in popular music, even gaining national popularity in the songs of [[Pino Daniele]] and the [[Nuova Compagnia di Canto Popolare]].
+Neapolitan also has a significant superstratum that consists of all the influences by other Romance languages ([[Aragonese language|Aragonese]], [[Catalan language|Catalan]], [[Occitan language|Occitan]] and [[Franco-Provençal]] above all), but also by the [[Germanic languages]], and especially by the Greek language. Because of the prestige that standard Italian started to have throughout the Italian peninsula already from the 12th to 13th centuries, Neapolitan never had a true chance to be fully standardized, and as a result there exist terms in Neapolitan showing multiple forms, such as the word for ''tree'' which can take four different spellings: {{Wikt-lang|nap|arbero}}, {{Wikt-lang|nap|arvero}}, {{Wikt-lang|nap|arbolo}}, {{Wikt-lang|nap|arvolo}}.
-The language has no official status within Italy and is not taught in schools. The [[University of Naples Federico II]] offers (from 2003) courses in Campanian Dialectology at the faculty of Sociology, whose actual aim is not to teach students to speak the language but to study its history, usage, literature and social role. There are also ongoing legislative attempts at the national level to have it recognized as an official [[minority language]] of Italy. It is a recognized [[International Organization for Standardization|ISO]] 639 Joint Advisory Committee language with the [[ISO 639-3]] language code of ''nap''.
+Neapolitan has enjoyed a rich literary, theatrical, cinematographic, and also [[Neapolitan music|musical]] history (notably [[Giambattista Basile]], [[Eduardo Scarpetta]], [[Eduardo De Filippo]], [[Salvatore Di Giacomo]] [[Ferdinando Russo]] and [[Totò]]). Thanks to this important heritage, together with the work of artists like [[Renato Carosone]] in the 1950s, and [[Pino Daniele]] from the 1970s and 1980s onwards, Neapolitan is still widely in use today for popular music not only around the area of Naples, but it has increasingly gained acceptance even at the national scale.
-Here is the [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]] pronunciation of the Neapolitan spoken in the city of Naples:
+The language has no official status within Italy and it is not taught in schools. The [[University of Naples Federico II]] offers (from 2003) courses in Campanian Dialectology at the faculty of Sociology, whose aim is not to teach students the language, but to study its history, usage, literature and social role. There are also ongoing legislative attempts to have it listed as an official [[minority language]] of Italy, but it is currently just a recognized [[International Organization for Standardization|ISO]] 639 Joint Advisory Committee language with the [[ISO 639-3]] language code of ''nap''.
+Here is an [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]] pronunciation table of Neapolitan as spoken in the city of Naples:
 {| class="wikitable"
 ! [[The Lord's Prayer#English versions|English]]
+! Italian (standard)
 ! Neapolitan (standard)
-! Neapolitan (diacritics){{efn|name=diaeresis}}
+! Neapolitan (diacritics)
-! IPA
+! IPA (Neapolitan)
 |-
 | Our Father who art in heaven,
-| {{lang|nap|Pate nuoste ca staje 'n cielo,}}
+| {{lang|ita|Padre Nostro, che sei nei cieli,}}
-| {{lang|nap|Patë nuóstë ca stajë 'n ciélö,}}
+| {{lang|nap|Pate nuosto ca staje 'n cielo,}}
+| {{lang|nap|Patë nuóstö ca stajë 'n ciélö,}}
 | {{IPA|nap|ˈpɑːtə ˈnwostə ka ˈstɑːjə nˈdʒjeːlə|}}
 |-
 | hallowed be thy name
-| {{lang|nap|santificammo 'o nomme tuojo.}}
+| {{lang|ita|Sia santificato il tuo nome.}}
-| {{lang|nap|santificammö 'o nommë tuójö.}}
+| {{lang|nap|santificammo 'o nomme tujo.}}
-| {{IPA|nap|sandifiˈkamm(ə) o ˈnommə ˈtwoːjə|}}
+| {{lang|nap|santificammö 'o nòmmë tujö.}}
+| {{IPA|nap|sandifiˈkammə o ˈnɔmmə ˈtuːjə|}}
 |-
 | Thy kingdom come,
-| {{lang|nap|Faje veni' 'o regno tuojo,}}
+| {{lang|ita|Venga il tuo regno,}}
-| {{lang|nap|Fajë vëni' 'o régnö tuójö,}}
+| {{lang|nap|Faje vinì 'o rigno tujo,}}
-| {{IPA|nap|ˈfɑːjə vəˈni o ˈrɛɲɲə ˈtwoːjə|}}
+| {{lang|nap|Fajë vinì 'o rignö tujö,}}
+| {{IPA|nap|ˈfɑːjə viˈni o ˈriɲɲə ˈtuːjə|}}
 |-
 | Thy will be done,
+| {{lang|ita|Sia fatta la tua volontá,}}
 | {{lang|nap|sempe c'a vuluntà toja,}}
 | {{lang|nap|sèmpë c'a vuluntà tójä,}}
-| {{IPA|nap|ˈsɛmbə ˈkɑ: vulunˈda (t)ˈtɔːjə|}}
+| {{IPA|nap|ˈsɛmbə ˈkɑː vulunˈda ˈtoːjə|}}
 |-
 | on earth as it is in heaven.
+| {{lang|ita|Come in cielo, così in terra.}}
 | {{lang|nap|accussì 'n cielo, accussì 'n terra.}}
-| {{lang|nap|accussì 'n ciélö, accussì 'n terrä.}}
+| {{lang|nap|accussì 'n ciélö, accussì 'n tèrrä.}}
 | {{IPA|nap|akkusˈsi nˈdʒjeːlə akkusˈsi nˈdɛrrə|}}
 |-
 | Give us this day our daily bread
-| {{lang|nap|Fance ave' 'o pane tutte 'e juorne,}}
+| {{lang|ita|Dacci oggi il nostro pane quotidiano,}}
-| {{lang|nap|Fancë ave' 'o panë tuttë 'e juórnë,}}
+| {{lang|nap|Fance avé 'o ppane tutte 'e juorne,}}
-| {{IPA|nap|ˈfandʒ aˈve o pˈpɑːnə ˈtutt e ˈjwornə|}}
+| {{lang|nap|Fancë avé 'o ppanë tuttë 'e juórnë,}}
+| {{IPA|nap|ˈfandʒə aˈve o pˈpɑːnə ˈtuttə e ˈjwornə|}}
 |-
 | and forgive us our trespasses
-| {{lang|nap|e liévace 'e riébbete}}
+| {{lang|ita|E rimetti a noi i nostri debiti}}
-| {{lang|nap|e liéväcë 'e riébbëtë}}
+| {{lang|nap|e lèvance 'e diébbete}}
-| {{IPA|nap|e lˈljeːvəʃ(ə) e ˈrjebbətə|}}
+| {{lang|nap|e lèväncë 'e diébbëtë}}
+| {{IPA|nap|ɛ lˈlɛːvəndʒə e ˈrjebbətə|}}
 |-
 | as we forgive those who trespass against us,
-| {{lang|nap|cumme nuje 'e luvamme all'ate.}}
+| {{lang|ita|Come noi li rimettiamo ai nostri debitori.}}
-| {{lang|nap|cummë nujë 'e luvàmmë all'atë.}}
+| {{lang|nap|commo nuje 'e livammo all'ate.}}
-| {{IPA|nap|ˈkummə ˈnuːjə e lluwammə alˈlɑːtə|}}
+| {{lang|nap|commö nujë 'e livammö all'atë.}}
+| {{IPA|nap|ˈkommə ˈnuːjə e liˈvammə alˈlɑːtə|}}
 |-
 | and lead us not into temptation,
-| {{lang|nap|Nun ce fa' spanteca',}}
+| {{lang|ita|E non ci indurre in tentazione,}}
-| {{lang|nap|Nun cë fa' spantëca',}}
+| {{lang|nap|No nce fà spanticà,}}
-| {{IPA|nap|nun dʒə ˈfa ʃpandəˈka|}}
+| {{lang|nap|Nö ncë fà spanticà,}}
+| {{IPA|nap|nə ndʒə ˈfa ʃpandiˈka|}}
 |-
 | but deliver us from evil.
-| {{lang|nap|e liévace 'o male 'a tuorno.}}
+| {{lang|ita|Ma liberaci dal male.}}
-| {{lang|nap|e liéväcë 'o malë 'a tuórnö.}}
+| {{lang|nap|ma lèvance 'o mmale 'a tuorno.}}
-| {{IPA|nap|e lˈljeːvəʃ(ə) o mˈmɑːl(ə) a ˈtwornə|}}
+| {{lang|nap|ma lèväncë 'o mmalë 'a tuórnö.}}
+| {{IPA|nap|ma ˈlɛːvəndʒə o mˈmɑːlə a ˈtwornə|}}
 |-
 | Amen.
+| {{lang|ita|Amen.}}
 | {{lang|nap|Ammèn.}}
 | {{lang|nap|Ammèn.}}
@@ Line 136: / Line 145: @@
 |}
-== Alphabet and pronunciation ==
+== Orthography and phonology ==
-Neapolitan orthography consists of 22 [[Latin alphabet|Latin]] letters. Much like [[Italian orthography]], it does not contain ''k,'' ''w,'' ''x,'' or ''y'' even though these letters might be found in some foreign words; unlike Italian, it does contain the letter ''j''. The following English pronunciation guidelines are based on [[General American]] pronunciation, and the values used may not apply to other dialects. (See also: [[International Phonetic Alphabet chart for English dialects]].)
+Neapolitan orthography consists of 22 Latin letters. Much like what happens for Italian, it does not contain ''k''/''w''/''x''/''y'', although these letters might be found in foreign words. Yet unlike Italian, it does employ ''j'', which overall reflects a higher incidence of this sound. The following English pronunciation guidelines are based on [[General American]] pronunciation, and the values used may not apply to other dialects. (See also: [[International Phonetic Alphabet chart for English dialects]].)
-All Romance languages are closely related. Although Neapolitan shares a high degree of its vocabulary with Italian, the official language of Italy, differences in pronunciation can make the connection unrecognizable to those without knowledge of Neapolitan. The most striking{{citation needed|date=March 2025}} phonological difference is the Neapolitan weakening of unstressed vowels into [[schwa]] (''schwa'' is pronounced like the ''a'' in ''about'' or the ''u'' in ''upon'').{{efn|name=diaeresis|In recent studies on Neapolitan variants in Campania, there has been a tendency to mark vowels pronounced as [[schwa]] ⟨ə⟩ with [[diaeresis (diacritic)|diaeresis]] ('''{{serif|{{char|◌̈}}}}'''). While it may help novice speakers, it is not an established trait of the Neapolitan orthography.}} However, it is also possible (and quite common for some Neapolitans) to speak standard Italian with a "Neapolitan accent"; that is, by pronouncing un-stressed vowels as schwa or by pronouncing the letter s as {{IPAblink|ʃ}} (like the ''sh'' in ''ship'') instead of {{IPAblink|s}} (like the ''s'' in ''sea'' or the ''ss'' in ''pass'') when the letter representing {{IPAslink|s}} is in initial position followed by a consonant, but not when it is followed by a dental occlusive {{IPAslink|t̪|t}} or {{IPAslink|d̪|d}} (at least in the purest form of the language) but by otherwise using the vocabulary and grammatical forms of Italian.
+All Romance languages are closely related. Although Neapolitan varieties share a high degree of their vocabulary with standard Italian, the official language of Italy, several differences in pronunciation can make the connection almost unrecognizable: one of such distinguishing features is undoubtably the Neapolitan weakening of unstressed vowels into [[schwa]] (the sound that ''a'' takes in ''about''). Nonetheless, the majority of Neapolitan speakers is used to speak the proscribed national language for communication, even if they very often pronounce standard Italian with a distinctive local accent: for example, another typical characteristic which is more consistently transferred from Neapolitan into Italian is the [[Palatalization (sound change)|palatalization]] of {{IPAblink|s}} (like the ''s'' in ''sip'') into {{IPAblink|ʃ}} (like the ''sh'' in ''ship''), which occurs whenever {{IPAslink|s}} occurs in an initial position followed by a consonant (yet the set of consonants triggering this phonological shift changes from dialect to dialect).
-Therefore, while pronunciation presents the strongest barrier to comprehension{{citation needed|date=March 2025}}, the grammar of Neapolitan is what sets it apart from Italian. In Neapolitan, for example, the gender and number of a word is expressed by a change in the accented vowel because it no longer distinguishes final unstressed {{IPAslink|a}}, {{IPAslink|e}} and {{IPAslink|o}} (e.g. ''l'''uo'''ngo'' {{IPA|nap|ˈlwoŋɡə|}}, ''l'''o'''nga'' {{IPA|nap|ˈloŋɡə|}}; Italian ''lung'''o''''', ''lung'''a'''''; masc. "long", fem. "long"), whereas in Italian it is expressed by a change in the final vowel. These and other morpho-syntactic differences distinguish the Neapolitan language from the Italian language and the Neapolitan accent.
+The grammar is what mostly sets Neapolitan apart from Italian. For instance, the gender and number of a word are expressed through a system of [[metaphony]] in the stressed vowel, since the final vowels in the [[suffix]] are no longer distinguished (e.g. Neapolitan ''l'''uo'''ngo'' {{IPA|nap|ˈlwoŋːə|}}, ''l'''o'''nga'' {{IPA|nap|ˈlɔŋːə|}}; Italian {{Lang|it|lung'''o'''}}, {{Lang|it|lung'''a'''}}; masc. "long", fem. "long"; Neapolitan ''franz'''e'''se'' {{IPA|nap|franˈdzeːsə|}}, ''franz'''i'''se'' {{IPA|nap|franˈdziːsə|}}; Italian {{Lang|it|frances'''e'''}}, {{Lang|it|frances'''i'''}}; sing. "French", pl. "French").
-Neapolitan has had a significant influence on the intonation of [[Rioplatense Spanish]] spoken in [[Buenos Aires]] and the [[Buenos Aires Province|surrounding region]] of [[Argentina]] and in the entire country of [[Uruguay]].<ref>Colantoni, Laura, and Jorge Gurlekian.[http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract;jsessionid=43F6CF4CEB6223AA2ED40C7926999F70.tomcat1?fromPage=online&aid=236145 "Convergence and intonation: historical evidence from Buenos Aires Spanish"], ''Bilingualism: Language and Cognition'', Volume 7, Issue 02, August 2004, pp. 107–119, Cambridge Journals Online</ref>
+Neapolitan seems to have had a significant influence on the intonation of [[Rioplatense Spanish]], which is spoken in a major portion of Argentina, in addition to the entire country of Uruguay, but also on that of the [[Paulistano dialect]] from in and around the area of São Paulo in Brazil, even though such varieties received substantial influxes from other regional Italian languages as well.
 === Vowels ===
@@ Line 201: / Line 210: @@
 === Consonants ===
+{{cn|date=December 2025}}
 {| class="wikitable" style=text-align:center
 |-
@@ Line 219: / Line 229: @@
 |
 | {{IPA link|ɲ}}
-| ({{IPA link|ŋ}})
+|
 |-
 ! rowspan="2" | [[Stop consonant|Plosive]]/<br />[[Affricate consonant|Affricate]]
@@ Line 233: / Line 243: @@
 | {{IPA link|b}}
 | {{IPA link|d}}
-| ({{IPA link|d͡z}})
+|
 | {{IPA link|d͡ʒ}}
 |
@@ Line 250: / Line 260: @@
 | {{IPA link|v}}
 |
-| ({{IPA link|z}})|| ({{IPA link|ʒ}})
+| ||
 | rowspan="2" |{{IPA link|ʎ}}||
 |-
@@ Line 289: / Line 299: @@
 | ''b''
 | {{IPAslink|b}}
-| pronounced the same as in English, always [[gemination|geminated]] when preceded by another vowel
+| pronounced the same as in English, always [[gemination|geminated]] when preceded by a vowel
 |-
 | ''t''
 | {{IPAslink|t̪|t}}<br />{{IPA|[d]}}
-| dental version of the English ''t'' as in ''state'' (not as the ''t'' in ''tool'', which is aspirated)<br />voiced after ''n''
+| dental version of the English ''t'' as in ''stop'' (not as the ''t'' in ''top'', which is aspirated)<br />voiced after ''n''
 |-
 | ''d''
@@ Line 301: / Line 311: @@
 | ''c''
 | {{IPAslink|t͡ʃ}}~{{IPAblink|ʃ}}<br />{{IPAblink|d͡ʒ}}<br />{{IPAslink|k}}<br />{{IPAblink|ɡ}}
-| when followed by ''e'' or ''i'' the pronunciation is somewhere between the ''sh'' in ''share'' and the ''ch'' in ''chore'', especially after a vowel<br />otherwise it is like the ''k'' in ''skip'' (not like the ''c'' in ''call'', which is [[Aspiration (phonetics)|aspirated]])<br />in both cases [[voiced consonant|voiced]] after ''n''
+| when followed by ''e'' or ''i'' the pronunciation is somewhere between the ''sh'' in ''share'' and the ''ch'' in ''chore'', especially after a vowel<br />otherwise it is like the ''k'' in ''scan'' (not like the ''c'' in ''can'', which is [[Aspiration (phonetics)|aspirated]])<br />in both cases [[voiced consonant|voiced]] after ''n''
 |-
 | ''g''
 | {{IPA|/d͡ʒ/}},<br />{{IPA|/ɡ/}}
-| when followed by ''e'' or ''i'' the pronunciation is like the ''g'' of ''German'', always geminated when preceded by another vowel<br />otherwise it is like the ''g'' in ''gum''
+| when followed by ''e'' or ''i'' the pronunciation is like the ''g'' of ''gem'', always geminated when preceded by another vowel<br />otherwise it is like the ''g'' in ''get''
 |-
 | ''f''
@@ Line 319: / Line 329: @@
 | pronounced the same as in English ''sound'' unless it comes before a consonant other than {{IPA|/t d n r l/}}<br />pronounced as ''ds'' in ''lads'' after ''n''<br />pronounced as English ''z'' before ''d'' or after ''n''
 |-
-| {{IPA|/ʃ/}}<br />{{IPAblink|ʒ}}<ref name="MdF">{{Citation |first=Luciano |last=Canepari |author-link=Luciano Canepari |series=Manuale di fonetica |title=Italia |year=2005 |pages=282–283 |publisher=Lincom Europa |isbn=3-89586-456-0 |url=http://venus.unive.it/canipa/pdf/MFo_16_Italia.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606222954/http://venus.unive.it/canipa/pdf/MFo_16_Italia.pdf |archive-date=6 June 2011 |df=dmy-all }} (in [[Italian language|Italian]])</ref>
+| {{IPA|/ʃ/}}<br />{{IPAblink|ʒ}}<ref name="MdF">{{Citation |first=Luciano |last=Canepari |author-link=Luciano Canepari |series=Manuale di fonetica |title=Italia |year=2005 |pages=282–283 |publisher=Lincom Europa |isbn=3-89586-456-0 |url=http://venus.unive.it/canipa/pdf/MFo_16_Italia.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606222954/http://venus.unive.it/canipa/pdf/MFo_16_Italia.pdf |archive-date=6 June 2011 |df=dmy-all }} (in Italian)</ref>
 | pronounced ''sh'' when followed by a voiceless consonant (except {{IPA|/t/}})<br />''zh'' when followed by a voiced consonant (except {{IPA|/n d r l/}})
 |-
@@ Line 344: / Line 354: @@
 | ''r''
 | {{IPAslink|r}}~{{IPAblink|ɾ}}
-| when between two vowels it sounds very much like the American ''tt'' in ''butter'' but in reality it is a single tic of a trilled ''r''<br />when at the beginning of a word or when preceded by or followed by another consonant, it is trilled
+| when between two vowels it sounds very similar to the American ''t'' in ''later''; it is a single tap of a trilled ''r'';{{fix|text=Is it a tap or a short trill?}}<br />when at the beginning of a word or when preceded by or followed by another consonant, it is trilled
 |-
 | ''q''
 | {{IPA|/k{{IPAplink|ʷ}}/}}
-| represented by orthographic ''qu'', pronounced the same as in English
+| represented by orthographic ''qu'', pronounced similarly as in English, but more accurately described as pronouncing ''k'' and ''w'' simultaneously rather than sequentially
 |-
 | ''h''
 |
-| ''h'' is always silent and is only used to differentiate words pronounced the same and otherwise spelled alike (e.g. ''a'', ''ha''; ''anno'', ''hanno'')<br />and after ''g'' or ''c'' to preserve the hard sound when ''e'' or ''i'' follows (e.g. ''ce'', ''che''; ''gi'', ''ghi'')
+| ''h'' is always silent and is used to differentiate words pronounced the same and otherwise spelled alike (e.g. ''a'', ''ha''; ''anno'', ''hanno'')<br />and placed after ''g'' or ''c'' to indicate the hard sound when ''e'' or ''i'' follows (e.g. ''ce'', ''che''; ''gi'', ''ghi'')
 |-
 | ''x''
 | {{IPA|/k(ə)s/}}
-| pronounced like the ''cks'' in ''backs'' or like the ''cchus'' in ''[[Bacchus]]''; this consonant sequence does not occur in native Neapolitan or Italian words
+| pronounced like the ''x'' in ''next'' or like the ''cus'' in ''raucus''; this consonant sequence does not occur in native Neapolitan or Italian words
 |}
@@ Line 381: / Line 391: @@
 == Grammar ==
-[[File:Carnevale_Scampia_01.jpg|thumb|Neapolitan text at the Scampìa Carnival; note the definite article {{lang|nap|'o}}.]]
+[[File:Carnevale Scampia 01.jpg|thumb|Sample of a Neapolitan text at the Scampìa carnival.]]
 === Definite articles ===
-The Neapolitan classical [[definite article]]s (corresponding to the English word "the") are {{lang|nap|’a}} (feminine singular), {{lang|nap|’o}} (masculine singular) and {{lang|nap|’e}} (plural for both). They are traditionally spelled with the apostrophe to signify the elided sound {{lang|nap|l}}.
 Before a word beginning with a consonant:
 {| class="wikitable"
@@ Line 392: / Line 400: @@
 ! Singular
 ! Plural
+! Uncountable
 |-
 | '''Masculine'''
-| {{lang|nap|’o}}
+| {{lang|nap|'o}}
-| {{lang|nap|’e}}
+| {{lang|nap|'e}}
+| {{lang|nap|'o}} C:
 |-
 | '''Feminine'''
-| {{lang|nap|’a}}
+| {{lang|nap|'a}}
-| {{lang|nap|’e}} C:
+| {{lang|nap|'e}} C:
-|-
+| {{lang|nap|'a}}
-| '''Neuter'''
-| {{lang|nap|’o}} C:
-| ∅
 |}
-"C:" = the initial consonant of the following word is [[Gemination|geminated]] if followed by a vowel.
+C: indicates that the initial consonant of the following word is [[Gemination|geminated]] if followed by a vowel. The reason why they are traditionally spelled with a preceding apostrophe ' is to indicate the [[Elision|elision]] of the initial sound {{lang|nap|/l/}}. All these definite articles are always pronounced distinctly.
-These definite articles are always pronounced distinctly.
-Before a word beginning with a vowel, {{lang|nap|l’}} or {{lang|nap|ll’}} are used
-for both masculine and feminine, singular and plural. Although both forms can be found, the {{lang|nap|ll’}} form is by far the most common.
-In Neapolitan, the [[Grammatical gender|gender]] of a noun is not easily determined by the article, so other means must be used.  In the case of {{lang|nap|’o}}, which can be either masculine singular or neuter singular (there is no neuter plural in Neapolitan), the initial consonant of the noun is doubled when it is neuter.  For example, the name of a language in Neapolitan is always neuter, so if we see {{lang|nap|’o nnapulitano}} we know it refers to the Neapolitan language, whereas {{lang|nap|’o napulitano}} would refer to a Neapolitan man.
+The definite article becomes {{lang|nap|ll'}} before a word beginning with a vowel, which is invariable for all genders, and for all numbers.
-Likewise, since {{lang|nap|’e}} can be either masculine or feminine plural, when it is feminine plural, the initial consonant of the noun is doubled.  For example, consider {{lang|nap|’a lista}}, which in Neapolitan is feminine singular, meaning "the list".  In the plural, it becomes {{lang|nap|’e lliste}}.
+In general, because of the systemic vowels' reduction process, which doesn't allow for an immediate words' gender identification, the tendency in Neapolitan is to specify articles before nouns even in isolation, at least more frequently than what happens in Italian, and more similarly to what happens for instance in French.
-There can also be problems with nouns whose singular form ends in {{lang|nap|e}}.  Since plural nouns usually end in {{lang|nap|e}} whether masculine or feminine, the masculine plural is often signaled orthographically, that is, by altering the spelling.  As an example, consider the word {{lang|nap|guaglione}}, which means "boy" or (in the feminine form) "girl":
-{| class="wikitable"
-|-
-!
-! Singular
-! Plural
-|-
-| '''Masculine'''
-| {{lang|nap|’o guaglione}}
-| {{lang|nap|’e guagliune}}
-|-
-| '''Feminine'''
-| {{lang|nap|’a guagliona}}
-| {{lang|nap|’e gguaglione}}
-|}
-More will be said about these orthographically changing nouns in the section on Neapolitan nouns.
-A couple of notes about consonant doubling:
-*Doubling is a function of the article (and certain other words), and these same words may be seen in other contexts without the consonant doubled.  More will be said about this in the section on consonant doubling.
-*Doubling only occurs when a vowel follows the consonant.  No doubling occurs if it is followed by another consonant, such as in the word ''spagnuolo (Spanish)''.
 === Indefinite articles ===
-The Neapolitan indefinite articles, corresponding to the English ''a'' or ''an'', are presented in the following table:
+For all genders and all positions
 {| class="wikitable"
 |-
@@ Line 450: / Line 427: @@
 |-
 | '''Before words beginning with a consonant'''
-| {{lang|nap|nu}}
+| {{lang|nap|no}}
 | {{lang|nap|na}}
 |-
 | '''Before words beginning with a vowel'''
-| colspan="2" | {{lang|nap|n’}}
+| colspan="2" | {{lang|nap|n'}}
 |}
+These articles can be practically regarded as contracted forms deriving from the numerical pronouns meaning "one", which are ''uno''/''una''/''un''', with elision of ''u'' in the unstressed initial position. Such development ultimately explains why in these articles, although it always happens to precede either ''o'' or ''a'' or the following initial vowel, ''n'' never undergoes gemination even after words triggering it, as in {{lang|nap|dimane è n'ato juorno}} instead of {{lang|nap|dimane è *nn'ato juorno}} ("tomorrow is another day").
 === Verbal conjugation ===
-In Neapolitan there are four finite moods: [[indicative mood|indicative]], [[subjunctive mood|subjunctive]], [[conditional mood|conditional]] and [[imperative mood|imperative]], and three non-finite modes: [[infinitive]], [[gerund]] and [[participle]]. Each mood has an [[active voice|active]] and a [[passive voice|passive]] form. The only auxiliary verbs used in the active form is {{Wikt-lang|nap|avé|(h)avé}} (Eng. "to have", It. {{lang|it|avere}}), which contrasts with Italian, in which the intransitive and reflexive verbs take {{lang|nap|èssere}} for their auxiliary. For example, we have:
+Neapolitan verbs shows four finite moods: [[Indicative mood|indicative]], [[Imperative mood|imperative]], [[Conditional mood|conditional]] and [[Subjunctive mood|subjunctive]], the last of which has near completely died out (at least in the speech of Naples), and three non-finite modes: [[infinitive]], [[gerund]] and [[participle]]. Each mood exhibits an [[active voice]] and a [[passive voice]]. Only {{Wikt-lang|nap|èssere}} (Eng. "to be", It. {{lang|it|essere}}) can function as an auxiliary verb for both voices. On the contrary, {{Wikt-lang|nap|(h)avé}} (Eng. "to have", It. {{lang|it|avere}}) can only be employed in the active form, whereas {{Wikt-lang|nap|venì}} (Eng. "to come", It. {{lang|it|venire}}) only in the passive one.
+Thus, if the verb is transitive and can hence be conjugated in both the active and passive, then {{lang|nap|(h)avé}} will be used for the former and {{lang|nap|èssere}}/{{lang|nap|venì}} will be interchangeably used for the latter, while if the verb is intransitive and can hence be conjugated just in the active, then {{lang|nap|(h)avé}}/{{lang|nap|èssere}} will be interchangeably used for it.
 ;Neapolitan
-{{interlinear|lang1=nap|
+{{interlinear|lang1=nap
-|Aggio stato a Napule ajere.
+| Te aggio purtato ô spitale.
-|AUX.have.1SG.PRES be.PTCP.PAST in Naples yesterday
+| ''You I-have brought to-the hospital.''
-|I was in Naples yesterday.}}
+}}
+I have brought you to the hospital.
+;Neapolitan
+{{interlinear|lang1=nap
+| Fuje/Vinette purtato â casa.
+| ''I-was/I-came brought to-the house.''
+}}
+I was brought home.
+;Neapolitan
+{{interlinear|lang1=nap
+| Ajiere aggio/so' juto a Caserta.
+| ''Yesterday I-have/I-am gone to Caserta.''
+}}
+Yesterday I went to [[Caserta]].
+=== Doubled initial consonants ===
+In Neapolitan, the initial consonant of a word, which would normally be pronounced as a singleton sound, can sometimes be doubled as well. This process is referred to as [[syntactic gemination]]. It more broadly occurs across all Italo-Romance groups and even in the unrelated [[Finnish language]].
-;Italian
+Gemination is triggered only by a specific set of words, mainly evolving from Latin monosyllabic parts of speech, as well as from the Proto-Romance derivatives constructed from them, ultimately ending in a consonant sound, which would later be dropped after causing [[fortition]] of the following initial consonant (e.g. {{lang|nap|tre (g)guagliune}}, "three boys", with Neap. {{lang|nap|tre}} being inherited from Lat. {{lang|lat|TRĒS}}). Gemination is instead blocked when a [[pausa]] occurs right after the trigger word (e.g. {{lang|nap|datimmenne tre, guagliù!}}, "give me three of them, boys!", with {{lang|nap|guagliù}} being apocopated for {{lang|nap|guagliune}}). In case the following terms begin in consonant clusters, the phenomenon only occurs if they happen to be sequences of an [[obstruent]] and a [[liquid consonant]] (e.g. {{lang|nap|tre (c)crape}}, "three goats"), while it doesn't if they instead show any other consonant combination (e.g. {{lang|nap|tre spate}}, "three swords").
-{{interlinear|lang=it
-|Sono stato a Napoli ieri.
-|AUX.be.1S.PRES be.PTCP.PAST in Naples yesterday
-|I was in Naples yesterday.}}
-=== Doubled initial consonants ===
+This gemination happens at the phonological level in pronunciation, but the doubling of consonants is not always reflected in spelling; many Neapolitan editions still mark such syntactic gemination in writing however, resulting in many terms spelled with initial double consonants: the expression meaning "I am crazy" may therefore be spelled either {{lang|nap|je so' pazzo}}, or alternatively {{lang|nap|je so' ppazzo}} (regardless of its spelling, pronunciation always exhibits syntactic gemination). In both Italian and Finnish, syntactic gemination is never reflected in the standard orthography.
-In Neapolitan, many times the initial consonant of a word is doubled.  This is called [[syntactic gemination]] (''[[raddoppiamento sintattico]]'' in Italian). This linguistic phenomenon occurs also in Italian and in Finnish.
-* All feminine plural nouns, preceded by the feminine plural definite article, {{lang|nap|’e}}, or any feminine plural adjective, have their initial consonant doubled.
-* All neuter singular nouns, when preceded by the neuter singular definite article, {{lang|nap|’o}}, or by a neuter singular adjective, have their initial consonant doubled.
-* In addition, other words also trigger this doubling. Below is a list of words that trigger the doubling of the initial consonant of the following word.
-However, when there is a pause after the "trigger" word, the phonological doubling does not occur (e.g. {{lang|nap|tu sî (g)guaglione}}, "You are a boy", where {{lang|nap|sî}} is a "trigger" word causing doubling of the initial consonant in {{lang|nap|guaglione}}, but in the phrase {{lang|nap|’e do sî, guaglió?}} "Where are you from, boy?", no doubling occurs. Neither does doubling occur when the initial consonant is followed by another consonant (other than {{lang|nap|l}} or {{lang|nap|r}}), e.g. {{lang|nap|’o ttaliano}} "the Italian language", but {{lang|nap|’o spagnuolo}} "the Spanish language", where {{lang|nap|’o}} is the neuter definite article).
-This doubling phenomenon happens phonologically (in pronunciation), and the doubling is not always represented in spelling. However, many Neapolitan-language editions do represent syntactic gemination in writing, resulting in many words spelled with initial double consonants. So, {{lang|nap|je so’ pazzo}} ("I am crazy") may also be spelled {{lang|nap|je so’ ppazzo}} (regardless of the spelling, it is pronounced with syntactic gemination). In Italian and Finnish, syntactic gemination is not reflected in writing.
 ==== Words that trigger doubling in pronunciation ====
-[[File:Viola Carofalo.jpg|thumb|[[Viola Carofalo]] wearing a T-shirt with Neapolitan {{lang|nap|je so’ pazzo}} ("I am crazy.")]]
+[[File:Viola Carofalo.jpg|thumb|[[Viola Carofalo]] wearing a T-shirt with Neapolitan {{lang|nap|je so' pazzo}} ("I am crazy.")]]
-* The conjunctions '''{{lang|nap|e}}''' and '''{{lang|nap|né}}''' but not '''{{lang|nap|o}}''' (e.g. {{lang|nap|pane e (c)caso}}; {{lang|nap|né (p)pane né (c)caso}}; but {{lang|nap|pane o caso}})
+* The conjunctions '''{{lang|nap|e}}''' and '''{{lang|nap|nè}}''' but not '''{{lang|nap|o}}''' (e.g. {{lang|nap|pane e (c)caso}}; {{lang|nap|nè (p)pane nè (c)caso}}; but {{lang|nap|pane o caso}})
-* The prepositions '''{{lang|nap|a}}''', '''{{lang|nap|pe}}''', '''{{lang|nap|cu}}''' (e.g. {{lang|nap|a (m)me}}; {{lang|nap|pe (t)te}}; {{lang|nap|cu (v)vuje}})
+* The prepositions '''{{lang|nap|a}}''', '''{{lang|nap|pe/pi}}''', '''{{lang|nap|co/cu}}''' (e.g. {{lang|nap|a (m)me}}; {{lang|nap|pe (t)te}}; {{lang|nap|co (v)vuje}})
-* The negation '''{{lang|nap|nu}}''', short for {{lang|nap|nun}} (e.g. {{lang|nap|nu ddicere niente}})
+* The negation '''{{lang|nap|no/nu}}''', short for {{lang|nap|non/nun}} (e.g. {{lang|nap|no ddìcere niente!}})
-* The indefinites '''{{lang|nap|ogne}}''', '''{{lang|nap|cocche}}''' (e.g. {{lang|nap|ogne (c)casa}}; {{lang|nap|cocche (c)cosa}})
+*'''{{lang|nap|tre}}''' (e.g. {{lang|nap|tre (c)criature}})
+* '''{{lang|nap|accussí}}''' (e.g. {{lang|nap|accussí (b)buono}})
+* '''{{lang|nap|cchiú}}''' (e.g. {{lang|nap|cchiú (g)grossa}})
+* From the verb {{lang|nap|stà}}: '''{{lang|nap|sto'}}''' (e.g. {{lang|nap|sto' (p)parlanno}})
+* From the verb {{lang|nap|èssere}}: '''{{lang|nap|so'}}'''; '''{{lang|nap|sî}}'''; '''{{lang|nap|è}}''' but not '''{{lang|nap|songo}}''' (e.g. {{lang|nap|je so' (p)pazzo}}; {{lang|nap|tu sî (f)frate a isso}}; {{lang|nap|chella è (m)maritata}}; {{lang|nap|chille so' (t)tutte cafune}} but {{lang|nap|chille songo tutte cafune}})
+* The locative '''{{lang|nap|lloco}}''' (e.g. {{lang|nap|lloco (s)sotta}})
+* The indefinites '''{{lang|nap|ogne}}''', '''{{lang|nap|cocche}}''' (e.g. {{lang|nap|ogne (c)cosa}}; {{lang|nap|cocche (v)vota}})
 * Interrogative '''{{lang|nap|che}}''' and relative '''{{lang|nap|che}}''' but not '''{{lang|nap|ca}}''' (e.g. {{lang|nap|che (p)piense?}} {{lang|nap|che (f)femmena!}} {{lang|nap|che (c)capa!}})
-* '''{{lang|nap|accussí}}''' (e.g. {{lang|nap|accussí (b)bello}})
+* The masculine uncountable definite article '''{{lang|nap|'o}}''' (e.g. {{lang|nap|'o (c)caso}})
-* From the verb "{{lang|nap|essere}}", '''{{lang|nap|so’}}'''; '''{{lang|nap|sî}}'''; '''{{lang|nap|è}}''' but not '''{{lang|nap|songo}}''' (e.g. {{lang|nap|je so’ (p)pazzo}}; {{lang|nap|tu sî (f)fesso}}; {{lang|nap|chella è (M)Maria}}; {{lang|nap|chilli so’ (c)cafune}} but {{lang|nap|chilli songo cafune}})
+* The masculine uncountable pronoun '''{{lang|nap|'o}}''' (e.g. {{lang|nap|'o (t)tiene 'o (p)pane?}})
-* '''{{lang|nap|chiú}}''' (e.g. {{lang|nap|chiú (p)poco}})
+* The feminine plural definite article '''{{lang|nap|'e}}''' (e.g. {{lang|nap|'e (m)mane}})
-* The number '''{{lang|nap|tre}}''' (e.g. {{lang|nap|tre (s)segge}})
+* The feminine plural pronoun '''{{lang|nap|'e}}''' (e.g. {{lang|nap|'e (t)tazze 'e (r)rinchie tu?}})
-* The neuter definite article '''{{lang|nap|’o}}''' (e.g. {{lang|nap|’o (p)pane}}, but {{lang|nap|nu poco ’e pane}})
-* The neuter pronoun '''{{lang|nap|’o}}''' (e.g. {{lang|nap|’o (t)tiene ’o (p)pane?}})
-* Demonstrative adjectives '''{{lang|nap|chistu}}''' and '''{{lang|nap|chillu}}''' which refer to neuter nouns in indefinite quantities (e.g. {{lang|nap|chistu (f)fierro}}; {{lang|nap|chillu (p)pane}}) but not in definite quantities (e.g. {{lang|nap|Chistu fierro}}; {{lang|nap|chillu pane}})
-* The feminine plural definite article '''{{lang|nap|’e}}''' (e.g. {{lang|nap|’e (s)segge}}; {{lang|nap|’e (g)guaglione}})
-* The plural feminine pronoun '''{{lang|nap|’e}}''', e.g., {{lang|nap|’e (g)guaglione ’e (c)chiamme tu? "}}
-* The plural masculine pronoun '''{{lang|nap|’e}}''' preceding a verb, but not when '''{{lang|nap|’e}}''' is an article; in {{lang|nap|’e guagliune ’e (c)chiamme tu?}}, the first {{lang|nap|'e}} is an article, so it does not trigger doubling; the second {{lang|nap|'e}} does trigger doubling because it is a masculine plural pronoun.
-* The locative '''{{lang|nap|lloco}}''' (e.g. {{lang|nap|lloco (s)sotto}})
-* From the verb {{lang|nap|stà}}: '''{{lang|nap|sto’}}''' (e.g. {{lang|nap|sto’ (p)parlanno}})
-* From the verb {{lang|nap|puté}}: '''{{lang|nap|può}}'''; '''{{lang|nap|pô}}''' (e.g. {{lang|nap|isso pô (s)sapé}})
 * Special case '''{{lang|nap|[[holy Spirit|Spiritu (S)Santo]]}}'''
@@ Line 506: / Line 489: @@
 {{Portal|Languages|Italy}}
 * [[Languages of Italy]]
+* [[Vulgar Latin]]
 * [[Oscan language]]
 * [[Sicilian language]]
+* [[Central Italian]]
-==References==
+== References ==
-{{Reflist}}
+{{reflist}}
 == Additional sources ==
@@ Line 516: / Line 501: @@
 * {{cite book |last1=De Blasi |first1=Nicola |last2=Imperatore |first2=Luigi |title=Il napoletano parlato e scritto: Con note di grammatica storica |date=2001 |publisher=Dante & Descartes |location=Napoli |isbn=978-8888142050 |edition=2nd |language=it |trans-title=Written and Spoken Neapolitan: With Notes on Historic Grammar}}
 * {{cite web |last1=Del Vecchio |first1=Emilano |title=Neapolitan: A Great Cultural Heritage |url=https://termcoord.eu/2014/07/neapolitan-great-cultural-heritage/ |publisher=[[Terminology Coordination Unit of the European Parliament|TermCoord]] |date=3 July 2014}}
 * {{cite web |last1=Verde |first1=Massimiliano |title=Consegnato il primo Certificato Europeo di Lingua Napoletana |url=https://www.napolitoday.it/eventi/consegnato-primo-certificato-europeo-lingua-napoletana.html |trans-title=Granted the first European Certificate of the Neapolitan language |website=NapoliToday |language=it |date=17 June 2017}} First Course of Neapolitan Language according to the QCER CEFR with the Patronage of City of Naples realized by Dr.Massimiliano Verde "Corso di Lingua e Cultura Napoletana" with a document of study in Neapolitan Language by Dr.Verde
 First public document in Neapolitan Language of the XXI century according to a text of Dr.Verde; the touristic Map of the III Municipality of Naples in Neapolitan Language:
 * {{cite news |last1=Palmieri |first1=Paola |title=Napoli per turisti: arriva la prima mappa con info in napoletano e italiano! |url=https://grandenapoli.it/napoli-arriva-la-mappa-turistica-info-napoletano-italiano/ |work=Grandenapoli |date=22 June 2017 |language=it |trans-title=Naples for tourists: Released the first map with text in Neapolitan and Italian!}}
@@ Line 523: / Line 508: @@
 == External links ==
 {{Sister project links|auto=1|d=Q33845|wikt=Neapolitan|b=Neapolitan|s=nap:Main Page|iw=nap}}
-*[http://www.napoli.com/viewarticolo.php?articolo=34942 Neapolitan recognized by UNESCO] {{in lang|it}}
+* [http://www.napoli.com/viewarticolo.php?articolo=34942 Neapolitan recognized by UNESCO] {{in lang|it}}
-*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080621074948/http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/translation/Neapolitan/ Websters Online Dictionary Neapolitan–English]
+* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080621074948/http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/translation/Neapolitan/ Websters Online Dictionary Neapolitan–English]
-*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051107211735/http://www.italica.rai.it/principali/lingua/bruni/mappe/mappe/f_dialetti.htm Interactive Map of languages in Italy]
+* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051107211735/http://www.italica.rai.it/principali/lingua/bruni/mappe/mappe/f_dialetti.htm Interactive Map of languages in Italy]
-*[http://www.sorrentoradio.com/ Neapolitan on-line radio station]
+* [https://sorrentoradio.com/ Neapolitan on-line radio station]
-*[[wikt:it:Categoria:Parole in napoletano|Neapolitan glossary on Wiktionary]]
+* [[wikt:it:Categoria:Parole in napoletano|Neapolitan glossary on Wiktionary]]
-*[https://web.archive.org/web/20011006092632/http://www.lastoriadinapoli.it/vocab.asp Italian-Neapolitan searchable online dictionary]
+* [https://web.archive.org/web/20011006092632/http://www.lastoriadinapoli.it/vocab.asp Italian-Neapolitan searchable online dictionary]
-*[http://starling.rinet.ru/cgi-bin/response.cgi?root=new100&morpho=0&basename=new100\ier\rom&first=0 Neapolitan basic lexicon at the Global Lexicostatistical Database]
+* [http://starling.rinet.ru/cgi-bin/response.cgi?root=new100&morpho=0&basename=new100\ier\rom&first=0 Neapolitan basic lexicon at the Global Lexicostatistical Database]
-*{{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20121205043117/http://www.torreomnia.com/Testi/argenziano/dizionario/presentazione.htm Grammar primer and extensive vocabulary for the Neapolitan dialect of Torre del Greco]}}
+* {{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20121205043117/http://www.torreomnia.com/Testi/argenziano/dizionario/presentazione.htm Grammar primer and extensive vocabulary for the Neapolitan dialect of Torre del Greco]}}
-*[https://www.napoletanita.it/ Neapolitan language and culture] {{in lang|it}}
+* [https://www.napoletanita.it/ Neapolitan language and culture] {{in lang|it}}
-*[https://langsci-press.org/catalog/book/16 Prosodic detail in Neapolitan Italian] by Francesco Cangemi. Berlin: Language Science Press. pp.&nbsp;187 Free download.
+* [https://langsci-press.org/catalog/book/16 Prosodic detail in Neapolitan Italian] by Francesco Cangemi. Berlin: Language Science Press. pp.&nbsp;187 Free download.
-*[https://www.napolitoday.it/eventi/consegnato-primo-certificato-europeo-lingua-napoletana.html Consegnato il primo Certificato Europeo di Lingua Napoletana] {{in lang|it}}
+* [https://www.napolitoday.it/eventi/consegnato-primo-certificato-europeo-lingua-napoletana.html Consegnato il primo Certificato Europeo di Lingua Napoletana] {{in lang|it}}
-*[https://www.vesuvioweb.com/it/wp-content/uploads/Salvatore-Argenziano-Grafia-e-Grammatica-Napoletana-vesuvioweb-2020.pdf Salvatore Argenziano. Il Dialetto Napoletano- Appunti di Grafia e Grammatica] {{in lang|it}}
+* [https://www.vesuvioweb.com/it/wp-content/uploads/Salvatore-Argenziano-Grafia-e-Grammatica-Napoletana-vesuvioweb-2020.pdf Salvatore Argenziano. Il Dialetto Napoletano- Appunti di Grafia e Grammatica] {{in lang|it}}
-{{Naples}}{{Languages of Italy}}
+{{Naples}}{{languages of Italy}}
 {{Romance languages}}
 {{Authority control}}
@@ Line 547: / Line 532: @@
 [[Category:Languages of Apulia]]
 [[Category:Languages of Molise]]
+[[Category:Italo-Dalmatian languages]]
+[[Category:Vulnerable languages]]
+[[Category:Endangered Romance languages]]
+[[Category:Endangered languages of Europe]]

Neapolitan language: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 11:36, 1 January 2026

Classification and standardization

Orthography and phonology

Vowels

Consonants

Digraphs and trigraphs

Grammar

Definite articles

Indefinite articles

Verbal conjugation

Doubled initial consonants

Words that trigger doubling in pronunciation

See also

References

Additional sources

External links

Navigation menu

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