Neapolitan is a Romance language with deep roots in Southern Italy and a rich cultural history. This lesson introduces what Neapolitan is, where it is spoken, and how it relates to other languages.
Neapolitan, whose autonym is commonly written ('o n)napulitano, is a Romance language in the Italo-Dalmatian branch. It is spoken across much of continental Southern Italy. Its name is associated with the historic Kingdom of Naples, which once covered much of the region and had Naples as its capital.
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How is Neapolitan classified?
It is a Romance language in the Italo-Dalmatian branch, specifically Southern Italo-Romance.
What can the name Neapolitan refer to?
It can mean related Southern Italian varieties broadly or the variety of Naples and its surroundings specifically.
How did migration affect the distribution of Neapolitan?
Southern Italian migration in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries established Neapolitan-speaking communities in countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil, and Argentina.
What language contact has influenced Neapolitan in the United States?
Contact with English and Sicilian languages has influenced U.S. Neapolitan; some speakers use English words in place of Neapolitan ones.
What is Neapolitan's official status and ISO 639-3 code?
It has no official status within Italy, and its ISO 639-3 code is nap.
Quiz questions
How many phonemic vowels does Neapolitan have?Answer: Eight phonemic vowels.
In careful Neapolitan spelling, what does a grave accent on a stressed e or o indicate?Answer: An open vowel.
What sound change is called rhotacism in the Neapolitan examples?Answer: A change of /d/ to an r-like sound in certain positions.
Which consonant-cluster change is illustrated by Neapolitan munno compared with Italian mondo?Answer: /nd/ becomes /nn/.
Which auxiliary does Neapolitan use in the active voice?Answer: (h)avé, meaning “to have.”