Neapolitan

From Latin neāpolītānus, from Neāpolis, from Ancient Greek Νεάπολις (Neápolis, literally “new city”), a Greek city in modern Naples. Doublet of naporitan.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌniːəˈpɒlɪtən/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌniːəˈpɑlɪtən/
• (weak vowel merger) IPA^(key): /ˌniːəˈpɑlətən/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒlɪtən
• Hyphenation: Ne‧a‧po‧li‧tan

Neapolitan (not comparable)

1. Of, from or relating to the city of Naples, capital and largest city of Campania, Italy, or the surrounding metropolitan city.
2. Designating an ice cream combination of the flavours chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry in order. (Until the mid-20th century the flavours were pistachio, vanilla, and strawberry, giving the colours of the Italian flag.)

   Synonym: harlequin

3. (dated) Describing a variety of ice cream made with eggs as well as cream.

Neapolitan (plural Neapolitans)

1. A native or inhabitant of the city of Naples, capital and largest city of Campania, Italy, or the surrounding metropolitan city.
2. An individually wrapped piece of chocolate, sold in assortments of various flavours such as coffee and orange.

Neapolitan (uncountable)

1. A language spoken in South Italy, approximately in the area of the former Kingdom of Naples.
   • 2010, Emily St. John Mandel, The Singer’s Gun, Picador (2015), page 237:

     It was a while before someone told him they were speaking Neapolitan, which in his understanding wasn’t quite Italian but wasn’t quite not Italian either.

• Wiktionary’s coverage of Neapolitan terms

• Ethnologue entry for Neapolitan, nap ⁠