Etymograph

English

Medigan

Medigan comes from Neapolitan americano ‘American’.

  1. Neapolitanmodernamericano‘American’
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1999Medigan

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Neapolitanmodernamericano‘American’
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1999Medigan

Earliest quotation: 1999, Joe Bosso, A Hit Is a Hit: “I don't mean white like Caucasian. I mean a…”

The story

The first vowel is reduced to a schwa in Neapolitan and further undergoes apheresis in American Neapolitan. To American ears, Neapolitan /k/ sounds like English /ɡ/ due to Neapolitan unvoiced stops being unaspirated unlike in American English. The final vowel in Neapolitan is reduced to a schwa and is further apocopated in American Neapolitan.

Every English word from Neapolitan americano

Today it means

noun An Italian who has lost touch with their cultural heritage.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Neapolitan americano / Medigan

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