USOS, FUNCIONES E INTERCULTURALIDAD DE LA VOZ “VOLADO/BOLADO” EN EL ESPAÑOL SALVADOREÑO

Abstract

“Bolado: Perhaps the most typical and used word in the Salvadoran colloquial language.” One of the most commonly used words in Salvadoran Spanish is an imprecise and recurrent noun that belongs to the spoken informal language. This analysis aims to identify, explain and describe the uses and functions that the noun “bolado/volado” fulfills in Salvadoran Spanish, as well as to discuss its role from an intercultural perspective. In the Vague Language theory, this noun can be categorized as a placeholder (of which a high frequency is expected) since it replaces other nouns. Based on the same theory, the uses and functions of this noun are classified analyzing written data in interactive contexts from Twitter. The results show that deliberately withholding information is the most represented use, while the four most common functions are represented by so-called group solidarity. From an intercultural view, the results show that imprecise informal nouns are a common linguistic phenomenon in other Spanish varieties as well as other languages. Knowledge about these nouns’ pragmatical effects is necessary to raise mindfulness and awareness that contribute to an effective intercultural communication.