Neapolitan is a Romance language from the Italic branch and is spoken frequently as a lingua franca throughout Southern Italy. Rather than being named for the city of Naples, Napoletano or Napulitano refers to the once expansive Kingdom of Naples. Neapolitan historically also served as a lingua franca for most of Southern Italy. Now the term typically refers to the language of Campania region and the greater Naples area.

The language has roots in Vulgar Latin, similar to Italian, but also reflect pre-Latin Oscan influence. French and Spanish has also been influential on the language. While the language is not officially recognized by the Italian government nor is allowed to be taught in school there is an active and concerted effort by some groups to pass legislation that would allow it to be considered a minority language in Italy. In 2008 Campanian law called for Neapolitan to be protected, but more needs to be done to preserved the language.

On account of the massive emigrations of Southern Italians, there are many speakers in diaspora communities in Brazil, Argentina, Australia, Canada, Venezuela, and the United States. The dialect of these groups is often different than modern Neapolitan which has been greatly influenced by the adoption of modern English words and Italian. It is believed that Neapolitan has had an influence on the intonation patterns of Uruguay and the Buenos Aires region of Argentina