The Neapolitan dialect: history and curiosities of the language

The Neapolitan dialect is much more than a way of speaking: it's a living language, steeped in history, music, and irony, capable of expressing entire worlds in just a few words. But how much do we really know about it? From its medieval origins to the false myth of UNESCO, here are the history and curiosities of the Neapolitan language.

A language born from Vulgar Latin

Neapolitan is a Romance language of the Italo-Romance group, attested since the Middle Ages. Just as Florentine forms the basis of Italian, the vernacular spoken in Naples has had its own history, evolving from Vulgar Latin mixed with Greek, Spanish, and French influences, inherited from the many peoples who have ruled the city.

In the Middle Ages, the dialects of southern Italy were collectively known as Apulian vernacular (Puglia, at the time, referred to much of the South). Their golden age came in 1442 , when King Alfonso V of Aragon chose literary Neapolitan as the language of the chancellery of the Kingdom of Naples , replacing Latin and alternating with Tuscan. This official recognition, however, was short-lived: from 1501 and then definitively from 1554, Tuscan vernacular regained the upper hand as the administrative language.

Basile, Cortese and the Birth of the European Fairy Tale

The great Neapolitan literary season coincides with the 17th century. Giambattista Basile wrote Lo cunto de li cunti (also known as Pentamerone , published posthumously between 1634 and 1636): a collection of fairy tales in Neapolitan that contains the first Western written version of Cinderella and which inspired authors such as Perrault and the Brothers Grimm . The work, translated into Italian by Benedetto Croce, is considered one of the founding texts of the European fairy tale.

Alongside Basile, we must remember Giulio Cesare Cortese , author of the Vaiasseide , a heroic-mock poem in five cantos: together, the two writers gave artistic dignity to Neapolitan, demonstrating that high literature could be written in the Neapolitan vernacular.

The words that conquered Italian

Many Neapolitan words have become firmly established in everyday Italian. Among these: guappo , scugnizzo , sfizio, and tamarro , now used throughout the peninsula without needing translation. And what about proverbs? Expressions like "vide Napule e po' muore" (see Naples and then die), "chi tene 'a salute è ricco e nun 'o ssape" (he who is healthy is rich and doesn't know it), or "'o tiempo è galantuomo" (time is a gentleman) express a philosophy of life steeped in irony and popular wisdom.

Neapolitan is also the language of the hands: already in 1832 the canon Andrea de Jorio published La mimica degli antichi investigata nel gestire napoletano , considered the first systematic study in the world on the language of gestures.

The soundtrack of the world

If Neapolitan dialect is known everywhere, it is mainly thanks to Neapolitan song : from 'O sole mio to Torna a Surriento , from Funiculì funiculà to the great singers and performers of the twentieth century, the Neapolitan repertoire has toured the planet (learn more with our guide to Neapolitan song ). The tradition, moreover, has not stopped: artists such as Pino Daniele , Nino D'Angelo and, more recently, Geolier and Liberato have brought Neapolitan dialect to the charts and even to the stage of Sanremo.

Language or dialect? The UNESCO case

From a linguistic perspective, Neapolitan has its own international code, ISO 639-3 "nap ," and is spoken, according to the most reliable estimates, by approximately 7,5 million people in Campania and neighboring regions. However, it is not taught in schools, which is precisely why in 2019 the Campania Regional Council unanimously approved a law for the protection and promotion of the Neapolitan language, establishing a dedicated scientific committee.

But beware of urban legend: for years, the rumor has been circulating that Neapolitan dialect has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site . This isn't true: the language is not listed as an intangible cultural heritage. The confusion was sparked by the 2008 regional law protecting the dialect, which many media outlets described as an international recognition. The case of the art of Neapolitan pizza making is different , as it was actually inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2017 (read the history of Neapolitan pizza and UNESCO ).

Neapolitan dialect remains one of the most recognizable symbols of the city, together with Pulcinella , the legends of the Munaciello and the traditions of Neapolitan superstition : a living heritage, which is passed down by word of mouth, within families and on the streets, every day.

Frequently asked questions about the Neapolitan dialect

Is Neapolitan a language or a dialect?

For linguists, it is a Romance language of the Italo-Romance group, with its own ISO 639-3 code ("nap") and a rich literary tradition. In everyday language, however, it is called a dialect, as opposed to standard Italian.

Is Neapolitan a UNESCO heritage site?

No: it is not listed as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. This is an urban legend that arose in 2008, following a regional law in Campania protecting the dialect.

How many people speak Neapolitan?

Estimates speak of around 7,5 million speakers , between Campania, southern Lazio, Molise, Basilicata, Puglia and Calabria, in addition to emigrant communities around the world.

What Neapolitan words are used in Italian?

Well-known examples are guappo , scugnizzo , sfizio and tamarro , now part of everyday Italian vocabulary.