sciosciare

Neapolitan

Alternative forms

sciusciare, scioscià, sciuscià (alt. spellings)

Etymology

Initial /ʃ/, for etymologically-expected /s/, presumably reflects assimilation to the following /ʃ(ʃ)/, which represents the regular outcome of Latin /fl/ in Neapolitan proper. (Cf. sciore < Latin flōrem.) Sound-symbolism may also have played a role.

Pronunciation

(Naples) IPA^(key): [ʃuʃˈʃa]

Verb

sciosciare

to blow

Derived terms

scioscio

References

AIS: Sprach- und Sachatlas Italiens und der Südschweiz [Linguistic and Ethnographic Atlas of Italy and Southern Switzerland] – map 936: “soffiare sul fuoco; soffia 3” – on navigais-web.pd.istc.cnr.it
Rocco, Emmanuele (1882) “sciosciare”, in Vocabolario del dialetto napolitano