# Neapolitan: na jurnata 'e sole



## fagiola

I came across this word from my mother who was from Caserta. She always loved to sing "o sole mio" and one of phrases was "na jurnata sole"
about a sunny day. I always learned there was no "j" in the Italian alphabet.  Can someone explain the above phrase. I am an newcomer and just starting to get more familiar with this beautiful language. Thanks,


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## MünchnerFax

Hi there, 
That's not Italian but Neapolitan dialect, that's why.


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## Danieloid

Hi Fagiola, and welcome!
Actually it's "na jurnata 'e sole", and as Münchner said, is Neapolitan dialect, spoken in Caserta, which is, as you probably know, in the same region.
Ciao!


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## silver frog

"J" (pronounced like y- in yellow) is no longer considered part of the standard Italian alphabet but in the past it was used sometimes to represent an approximant consonant. Until the XIX century it was used instead of -i- to represent diphtongs (e.g. Savo*j*a - modern spelling Savo*i*a)

It persists in certain dialects (especially Neapolitan and Romanesco, e.g. "te vo*j*o bene" - standard spelling: "ti vo*gli*o bene").


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## fagiola

Mille grazie to all who responded.  That certainly answers the question. I wonder about the dialect, especially Napolitano.  I remember my mother using the phrase for "where are you going?"  dove via (?) but pronouncing it something like " a douah vah" at times.


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## rubuk

Hi. It is where are you going?=dove vai?, (italian). I don't know the expression in napoletano.

St.


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## effeundici

fagiola said:


> Mille grazie to all who responded. That certainly answers the question. I wonder about the dialect, especially Napolitano. I remember my mother using the phrase for "where are you going?" dove via (?) but pronouncing it something like " a douah vah" at times.


 

It's (more or less) : _a'ddu vaje?_


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