# Neapolitan: Scungili



## martiex2

I'm doing a play and one of the characters is from Brooklyn and Italian.  The word "Scungili" is used.  Can anyone tell me what it means and how it is pronounced?  Thanks!


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## kari

"Scungili" doesn't exist in italian vocabulary and it doesn't seem neither a slang expression.
I find this on google:
"SCUNGILI CRIME FAMILY"
Maybe somebody else could say more.


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## EvanC

martiex2 said:
			
		

> I'm doing a play and one of the characters is from Brooklyn and Italian. The word "Scungili" is used. Can anyone tell me what it means and how it is pronounced? Thanks!


Martiex2,
Sorry I can't tell you what "scungili" means, but I can help with the pronounciation. It's somthing like this: scoon-jee-lee 
I hope that helps,
Evan C


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## mimitabby

scungille is a shellfish. i am not sure if i am spelling it right, it is a conch.
mimi


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## mbb

can someone tell me what "scungilli" means?


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## Silvia

Hi mmb,

welcome to the WR Forums.

As you can see, this very same question has already been asked.


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## mbb

Thank you for your answer.  I'm still wondering how it's used as a word in slang?  Does it mean screwy or crazy or wiggly worm.  My husband uses this word from time to time.  Mostly directed at our little dog.  He did tell me that it was a "fish." My dog adores him and I think this is a term of endearment.  Thanks for your answer -- mille grazie - MBB


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## Silvia

It's an American thing, I guess. Nothing to do with Italian expressions/exclamations.


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## babbo

Scungili are snails. My Dad told me they were periwinkle. My Family comes from Provincia di Potenza. Everyone knows the word. And it is a term of endearment.


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## moodywop

I checked in a Neapolitan-Italian dictionary. The word comes from Latin "exconcilum" and refers to a shellfish. It is also spelled "scunciglio". It also means "someone/something ugly and small" so I guess it could be used as a jocular term of endearment.

Carlo


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## foxfirebrand

moodywop said:
			
		

> It is also spelled "scunciglio". It also means "someone/something ugly and small" so I guess it could be used as a jocular term of endearment.Carlo


Good heavens-- surely this couldn't have anything to do with the etymology of _scugnizzi?_  They are kinda like barnacles sometimes.
.


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## V52

Hi 
I guess the word "scungili" can be related to the same root of  italian verb "nascondere" "nascondersi"  and definitely  all kinds of snails  hide themselves...
Vittorio


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## alfajor

moodywop said:


> I checked in a Neapolitan-Italian dictionary. The word comes from Latin "exconcilum" and refers to a shellfish. It is also spelled "scunciglio". It also means "someone/something ugly and small" so I guess it could be used as a jocular term of endearment.
> 
> Carlo




*scunciglio *
(lat. exconcilium): s.m. itt. "calcinello (tipo di conchiglia); sconquasso, disordine, guasto)" |
trasl. "tipo dal fisico assai brutto, piccolo, deforme, sgobbato"

— _Dizionario dialettale napoletano_ di Antonio Altamura

«I *molluschi* sono parte integrante della cucina tradizionale napoletana. Proprio a *Napoli* si privilegiano le '*maruzze*', mentre *Pompei* e la provincia puntano sugli *'scungilli*' (in italiano sconcigli o murice), molluschi amati già dagli antichi Romani.»

Maruzza o “sconciglio”: le origini e la storia dei molluschi


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