From Sun to Water: How One Neapolitan Phrase Captures a Mood
More than words: Why we need languages like Neapolitan
From Sun to Water: How One Neapolitan Phrase Captures a Mood — AI Image by Author (Bing).
I was born and raised in Naples, a stunning city nestled in the heart of southern Italy, where the local language possesses a visual and evocative quality that is unparalleled by most others worldwide. Of course, I cannot help but include in this comparison the languages that involve the use of ideograms, which give a visual representation of things, not an auditory one. However, Neapolitan has a uniqueness in evoking images and sensations through words.
The watery sun
Today, I would like to share with you a Neapolitan expression of extraordinary beauty: “O’ sole r’acqua” (the watery sun). This phrase refers to the weak sun, typical of humid days, which almost seems liquid and does not warm like the summer sun. It is an expression that deeply fascinates me, as it contains within itself a synesthesia, that is, a rhetorical figure that unites sensations belonging to different sensory spheres.
In “O’ sole r’acqua”, the word “sole” (sun), which belongs to the sensory domain of sight and is associated with light, heat, and luminosity, is juxtaposed with the word “acqua” (water), which instead belongs to the sensory domain of touch and evokes sensations of freshness, fluidity, and softness. This synesthesia creates a suggestive metaphorical image, capable of conveying a unique and unmistakable perception.
Liquid dripping
In addition to its visual evocative power, “O’ sole r’acqua” also contains auditory suggestions. The word “acqua”, in fact, both in Italian and in Neapolitan, is decidedly onomatopoeic. It evokes the sound of liquid dripping, trickling, and seeping, creating a further sensory dimension to the expression.
When I hear this phrase, my mind is filled with evocative images and sounds. I imagine a pale and veiled sun, struggling to make its way through the clouds and the humidity of the air. Its rays, rather than being warm and enveloping, almost seem liquid, as if they were made of water.
The sun in the sky is not hot, but it touches the skin softly, making you feel cool and a bit sad at the same time. You can also hear the sound of water drops, which makes everything feel even more special and interesting.
And…so?
Phrases like “O’ sole r’acqua” make me think about how important it is to keep and celebrate the way people talk in different places because these ways of talking often have a lot of smart, creative, and beautiful ideas in them. Specifically, the way people talk in Naples, which UNESCO says is a very special and valuable part of the world’s culture, is like a very precious treasure. Keeping this way of talking alive and teaching it to others is not just about respecting the past and customs of Naples, but also about making the world’s languages and cultures even richer and more diverse for everyone.
When I feel the urge to write articles on truly nuanced aspects of a topic, my faith that these nuances are seeking me from within, from the Atman, grows ever stronger. It’s not me to seek them out. And I cannot help but recall the Vedanta teaching:
"prāptasya prāptiḥ ātmaniṣṭhā"
"The attainment of the already attained is through the Self."
(Gaudapada — Mandukya Karika 1.2)
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