Lexical diversity in the use of quantifiers in the colloquial register in Bogotá and Cali, Colombia

Abstract

The current study analyzes the use of non-traditional quantifiers, for example, un pocotón, un tris, belonging to the colloquial register observed in the cities of Bogotá and Cali, Colombia. 122 university students from Bogotá and 153 from Cali responded to surveys in which they were asked to include all the expressions for high and low quantities used in any everyday situation. The lexical entries obtained were systematized with information about the character of the quantifier (low or high amount); the number of repetitions of each entry in the population was calculated, and ANOVA statistical analyzes were performed. In summary, differences were observed between the entries used in the two cities; a marked tendency to use nominal phrases to quantify was detected, and it was concluded that the use of complex quantifying expressions obeys the need to communicate subtle positive or negative connotations that speakers they wish to express through quantification.