Lexicon of Paraguayan gastronomy in the novel Hijo de la revolución (Son of the revolution)

Abstract

A literary work serves as a rich source of information, offering insight into the cultural, social, and behavioral dynamics of the society it portrays. Through its characters, these societal peculiarities become evident, enabling the analysis of lexical units tied to various semantic fields. Consequently, examining a literary corpus that emphasizes the food habits and meals characteristic of the depicted society facilitates the compilation of a valuable gastronomic lexicon. This research focuses on the novel Hijo de la Revolución (Barreto, 2019), which is analyzed to identify terms related to Paraguayan gastronomy and to compare these with entries found in three lexicographic sources: the Diccionario de la Real Academia Española (2014), the Diccionario de Americanismos (2010), and the Diccionario del Castellano Paraguayo (2017). An exploratory and descriptive study is conducted through lexicological and lexicographical analysis. The findings reveal both simple and complex lexical units, classified into three microfields: savory dishes, desserts, and beverages. While some terms appear in academic dictionaries, it is the local dictionary that records the vast majority. Additionally, certain foods are shown to be common across other regions of the Americas. A significant percentage of the names contain pure Guaraní elements, though in the dictionaries, these terms have been adapted to Spanish orthography. While the definitions across the dictionaries generally share similarities, some fail to capture essential information about the dishes, highlighting the need for more comprehensive lexicographical representation.