Neapolis

See also: Néapolis

English

Etymology

From Latin Neapolis, from Ancient Greek Νεάπολις (Neápolis), from νέα (néa, “new”) + πόλις (pólis, “city”). Equivalent to neo- +‎ -polis. Doublet of Nabeul, Nablus, Naples, and Neapoli.

Proper noun

Neapolis

1. (historical) Former name of Naples, a port city in southwestern Italy.
   • 1867, William Latham Bevan, The Student's Manual of Ancient Geography..., page 567:

     Neapolis, Naples, was situated on the W. slope of Mt. Vesuvius and on the banks of the small stream Sebethus. It was founded by the Greeks of Cumae, and was named Neapolis, "New City," in contradistinction to Palaepolis, "Old City," which had been previously established, probably on the hill of Pausilypus... Neapolis was conquered by the Samnites in b.c. 327, and passed into the hands of the Romans in 290; it retained its Greek character under them, and hence became a favourite resort of the Romans before the end of the Republic.

2. (historical) Former name of Kavala, a port city in northern Greece.
   • 2008, Michalis Twerios, "Greek Colonization of the Northern Aegean", Greek Colonisation: An Account of Greek Colonies and Other Settlements Oversees, Vol. II, p. 81:

     Although we have no written evidence to confirm that Neapolis was a Thrasian colony, there can be no doubt that it was. It was so named by the colonists in order, probably, to denote that it was for them a 'new city', as opposed to their 'old' one on Thrasos... Neapolis seems to have severed all dependence on Thrasos very quickly.

3. (historical) Former name of Simferopol, the capital of Crimea, generally recognized as part of the Ukraine, but currently controlled by Russia.
   • 1987, Victor E. Louis et al., Louis Motorist's Guide to the Soviet Union..., page 348:

     ... the Scythians came and on the site of present-day Simferopol stood their capital, Neapolis, repeatedly mentioned by ancient writers. Neapolis reached its apogee in the 2nd century BC during the reign of King Skilur.

4. (historical) Former name of Nabeul, a port city on the Cap Bon Peninsula in Tunisia.

Coordinate terms

• Palaepolis, Palaeopolis

Related terms

• Scythian Neapolis

 

Latin

Etymology

From Ancient Greek Νεάπολις (Neápolis), from νέα (néa, “new”) + πόλις (pólis, “city, city-state”). Varro's De Lingua Latina states that it was previously called Novapolis. Equivalent to neo- +‎ -polis.

Proper noun

Neāpolis f sg (genitive Neāpolis or Neāpoleos or Neāpolios); third declension

1. Naples (a port city in Italy)

   For quotations using this term, see Citations:Neapolis.

2. Simferopol (the capital of Crimea, generally recognized as part of the Ukraine, but currently controlled by Russia)
3. (historical) Former name of Cabala, Kavala (a port city in northern Greece)
4. Various other cities in the Hellenistic world, including modern Nabeul, Tunisia, and Nablus, Palestine.

Declension

Third-declension noun (i-stem, partially Greek-type), with locative, singular only.

Case	Singular
Nominative	Neāpolis
Genitive	Neāpolis Neāpoleos Neāpolios
Dative	Neāpolī
Accusative	Neāpolim Neāpolin
Ablative	Neāpolī
Vocative	Neāpolis Neāpolī
Locative	Neāpolī

The genitive forms beside Neāpolis are influenced by the Greek and only used postclassically.

Synonyms

• (Simferopol): Neapolis Scythica

Coordinate terms

• Palaepolis, Palaeopolis

Related terms

• Neapolis Scythica

 

Descendants

• French: Naples
  • → English: Naples
    • → Chinese: 那不勒斯 (Nàbùlèsī)
    • → Japanese: ネイプルズ
• Italian: Napoli
  • → Chinese: 拿坡里 (Nápōlǐ)
  • → English: Napoli
  • → Estonian: Napoli
  • → Finnish: Napoli
  • → Japanese: ナポリ
  • → Ottoman Turkish: ناپولی (Napoli)
    • Turkish: Napoli
• Neapolitan: Napule
• Portuguese: Nápoles
• Romanian: Napoli
• → Russian: Неаполь (Neapolʹ)
• Sicilian: Nàpuli
• Spanish: Nápoles

References

• “Neapolis”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• Neapolis in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.

Lithuanian

Etymology

From Latin Neapolis, ultimately from Ancient Greek Νεάπολις (Neápolis).

Proper noun

Neapolis m

1. Naples (a city in Italy)