There are many words in the Neapolitan language that are practically untranslatable or which, in their Italian version, lose their strength and meaning. I am thinking about cazzimma (to be cunning and opportunistic) or intalliare (to procrastinate) or even appucundria (nostalgia, similar to the Portuguese term “saudade”), vajassa (a foul-mouthed woman) and pezzotto (a fake, rip-off).

(The same is true–and is part of the richness–of any dialect, although I would like to specify that Neapolitan is not a simple dialect, but a recognised language with its own grammar, rules and syntax.)