Words Indicating Location?

As a nation state, Italy has emerged only in 1871. Until then the country was politically divided into a large number of independant cities, provinces and islands. The currently available evidences point out to a dominant Etruscan, Greek and Roman cultural influence on today's Italians.
Post Reply
User avatar
rp76226
Master
Master
Posts: 1968
Joined: 27 Apr 2010, 17:00

Words Indicating Location?

Post by rp76226 »

The maternal side of my family came from the province of Bari (Altamura and Grumo appula) though one uncle came from Sicily. They sometimes talked using two words that I assumed meant where people were from. I do not know how to spell those words, but phonetically they sounded like this:

"Bod-aise" and "Nap -lee -tan"

Does anyone know the meaning of those two words?

Ron
AngelaGrace56
Master
Master
Posts: 7083
Joined: 16 Oct 2012, 10:54

Re: Words Indicating Location?

Post by AngelaGrace56 »

"Nap-lee-tan"

I'd say this would be the word Napoletano –
basically a person from Naples; the dialect spoken by people in and around Naples, the culture, food etc.

Angela
darkerhorse
Master
Master
Posts: 3284
Joined: 11 Jun 2020, 18:31

Re: Words Indicating Location?

Post by darkerhorse »

I agree about Napolitan.

I'd guess Bod-aise is Bariese, with the "r" sounding a bit like a "d", meaning from Bari.

How far back have you traced your family in Bari?
User avatar
rp76226
Master
Master
Posts: 1968
Joined: 27 Apr 2010, 17:00

Re: Words Indicating Location?

Post by rp76226 »

To the early 1700s.
User avatar
Biff83
Master
Master
Posts: 4487
Joined: 02 Jan 2007, 00:00

Re: Words Indicating Location?

Post by Biff83 »

Another one to add to the mix here.

My paternal grandparents were Calabres'; my maternal grandparents were "Foo-jon" from the province of Foggia.
"Mintammicce impizzu mpizzu ca pue largu minne fazzu sule!"
User avatar
rp76226
Master
Master
Posts: 1968
Joined: 27 Apr 2010, 17:00

Re: Words Indicating Location?

Post by rp76226 »

I thought that Nap - lee-tan referred to Naples due to the similarity of the sound/letters. However, we had no family from Naples.
darkerhorse
Master
Master
Posts: 3284
Joined: 11 Jun 2020, 18:31

Re: Words Indicating Location?

Post by darkerhorse »

I believe Naples is the dominant city near the region where Bari is located, and that the Bari dialect is an offshoot of the Naples dialect. So, your ancestors might not have come from Naples but they were likely influenced by Naples.
darkerhorse
Master
Master
Posts: 3284
Joined: 11 Jun 2020, 18:31

Re: Words Indicating Location?

Post by darkerhorse »

rp76226 wrote: 20 Jun 2020, 17:20 To the early 1700s.
Do you know of any ancestors from that era who migrated from Bari to Sicily?
darkerhorse
Master
Master
Posts: 3284
Joined: 11 Jun 2020, 18:31

Re: Words Indicating Location?

Post by darkerhorse »

Select translate from Italian to English, type in "Barese" and click on audio.

In local dialect they likely didn't pronounce the final vowel. If the "r" was rolled it might have sounded more like a "d".

https://www.freetranslations.org/voice-translator.html#

Maybe someone who speaks the Napoletan dialect can help.
User avatar
rp76226
Master
Master
Posts: 1968
Joined: 27 Apr 2010, 17:00

Re: Words Indicating Location?

Post by rp76226 »

I know of no ancestors who migrated from Bari to Sicily. However, there was an uncle (technically husband of my aunt) who was born in Sicily and when he played Brisque (a card game) with my father, (born here, father from Sicily),maternal grandfather (born in Altmaura, Bari) and other uncle (Polish), the two words would sometimes come up in their conversation with an over emphasis on pronouncing them that I took as meant to be little "insults" but in a nice, friendly teasing way. These words never came up on my paternal side where all ancestors were from Sicily. Nor did they play Brisque. Instead they played pinochle.
User avatar
PippoM
Master
Master
Posts: 5140
Joined: 25 Aug 2004, 00:00
Location: Roma, Italia
Contact:

Re: Words Indicating Location?

Post by PippoM »

I agree with "Barese" and "Napoletano". Maybe what they meant when saying "You are "Napulitan"", while playing cards, was some kind of "insult" for someone who used to make tricks (as Neapolitans are popularly known as cheaters)
Giuseppe "Pippo" Moccaldi

Certificate requests and genealogical researches in Italy.
Translation of your (old) documents and letters.
Legal assistance in Italy for your Italian citizenship.
User avatar
rp76226
Master
Master
Posts: 1968
Joined: 27 Apr 2010, 17:00

Re: Words Indicating Location?

Post by rp76226 »

My wife's 91 year old cousin, who is also into Genealogy, called me to explain. Just as I did in the 1950s and 1960s, she heard it often as the men in her family played cards when she was growing up in the 1930s and 1940s. According to her (and she speaks and understands Italian), it was said as a friendly "slur" when someone made a stupid card play. They were then "mocked" but no one took offense - "You must be a stupid person from Naples" or "You must be a stupid person from Bodi".
Post Reply