Forms of “blackness' in contemporary Argentina: Variation, synonymy, and polysemy in Rioplatense spanish
This research is based on the collection of documented conversations in Urban environment in La Plata during ordinary communicative situations, as well as various hypermedia sources. Through these, we examine the uses of the signifier "negro" in the Rioplatense dialect. These polysemic use...
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| Formato: | Artículo revista |
| Lenguaje: | Español |
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Universidad Nacional de Córdoba
2025
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| Acceso en línea: | https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/almamater/article/view/46326 |
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| Sumario: | This research is based on the collection of documented conversations in Urban environment in La Plata during ordinary communicative situations, as well as various hypermedia sources. Through these, we examine the uses of the signifier "negro" in the Rioplatense dialect. These polysemic uses display meanings that vary depending on specific situations. To address this, we classified the different uses according to the social background of the speakers and the diverse speech situations: as a denomination used by the dominant classes, as a term employed by social groups seeking to differentiate and distance themselves, as a form of reappropriation, and as an affectionate word or nickname.
Behind the routine use and preference for one word over others lies a history that reveals struggles over its meaning. The struggle over the label "negro" has multiple facets in Argentina, particularly in areas that received internal migrants in the mid-20th century. Moreover, the power relations involved in attempts to universalize typifications of antagonistic groups influence both the imposed social imaginary and the available linguistic variants. This would explain why speakers from the same social groups develop differentiation strategies, establishing internal sub-strata and adopting linguistic alternatives from other groups. |
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