SUCA e 800A nel paesaggio linguistico urbano: uno sguardo su Palermo

The word SUCA comes from the Sicilian dialect and its origin can be traced in the verb sucari ‘to suck’, with a trivial meaning. But, over time, the imperative form has developed several metaphorical meanings involving linguistic varieties other than dialect: colloquial Italian, social network and mass media language, literary writing, shop and commercial names. And over time it has even changed its shape going from SUCA to 800A. Nowadays SUCA and the expressions in which it occurs are used to deny something or to express opposition to a request, to a situation, to a “truth”, to a behaviour. But this opposition appears to be gradual: it can be stronger or more attenuated depending on whether the speaker wants to communicate a feeling of anger or challenge, a feeling of mockery or spite. The Sicilian imperative, so widespread in speech, soon also appeared in exposed codes, marking the linguistic landscape of several Italian cities such as Catania, Rome, Turin, Genoa, Milan. But in Palermo, where it was born, it especially involves urban semiotics and place identity aspects.