In Argentina the most used term to refer to a friend is "Boludo". The use of this expression among friends, as a greeting full of complicity, is extremely common among Argentines.
According to the Argentine writer, poet and journalist Juan Gelman, Boludo is the word that best represents the informal Argentine lexicon to date.
According to the Dictionary of the Spanish Language, the word Boludo means to be “foolish or stupid”. However, the current use of this expression is very ambiguous, and in Argentina being called boludo can have different meanings.
What is the origin of the word Boludo?
The origin of this term takes place in the war formations of the Argentine natives during the battles of independence.
The gauchos did not have an artillery comparable to that of the Spanish army, who, in turn, had the most advanced technology in terms of firearms and military strategy.
To counteract this fact, the gauchos formed in three lines: the first row carried large stones. Given the nature of the cargo, the freighters in this row were popularly called assholes.
In turn, the second rank was made up of spearmen, who defended their guard with spears and sharp knives. For its part, the third row was the row of the auction. It was made up of the jerks, who carried boleadoras weapons, that is, balls tied to ropes that were thrown at a distance.
The three ranks operated in sequence, one after the other, and consequently the row of the jerks was the last to take sides during the war. In view of this, this figure was associated with cowardice.
At the end of the 19th century, this relationship between the word idiot with fear, and even with stupidity or foolishness, was strengthened. Society also associated this expression with people with large genitalia, and the belief that this characteristic prevented individuals from moving easily.
Given this last analogy, the word jerk was also related to awkward gestures. From there, its use was assumed as an insult in the Argentine collective imagination.
Use of the word Boludo today
However, in recent decades the word boludo has also been adopted as a term to call between friends commonly.
The diversity in the use of this word depends, basically, on the tone of voice of the issuer and the associated social context. It is worth noting that the word boludo is usually used between trusted friends, as a catchphrase for everyday stories, within the framework of informality.
It is a very common word, especially among young people. It is quite familiar to greet each other as idiots in the student, family or work environment, without implying an insulting character at all.
Although it is true that there is an ambiguous character in the use of this word, in recent years the balance has leaned much more towards the greeting between friends, instead of the derogatory term.
References
- Contreras, E. (2010). How do you say friend in Argentina. Buenos Aires, Argentina. Recovered from: groupstk.ru
- Crettaz, J. (2013). Boludo, the word that best represents Argentines. Buenos Aires, Argentina. Recovered from: lanacion.com.ar
- De la Torre, C. (2012) What does Boludo mean? Recovered from: que-significa.net
- Dictionary of the Spanish Language (2017). Boludo, from the Royal Spanish Academy. Recovered from: dle.rae.es
- What it really means asshole and asshole (2015). Buenos Aires, Argentina. Recovered from: quepasasalta.com.ar