Límites interpretativos de los sustantivos envoltorio en el lenguaje político español y polaco – estudio comparativo
Interpretative Limits Imposed by Shell Nouns in Spanish and Polish Political Language. A Comparative Study

Summary/Abstract: In this article, it is hypothesised that in political language shell nouns are employed to limit the interpretative possibilities for the audience. We have analysed a corpus of speeches delivered by Spain’s head of government, Pedro Sánchez, and Poland’s head of state, Andrzej Duda, with regard to shell nouns and their pragmatic-cognitive function. A quantitative approach compares their frequency and modification according to the spoken political language (Spanish and Polish) and the form of interaction (dialogues and monologues). From a qualitative perspective, this analysis proves the persuasive function of nominal encapsulation, which relies on the objectifying and generalising potential provided by general nouns with referential functions and the evaluative nature of their accompanying modifiers. This leads the audience to follow the interpretative path as imposed by the speaker, enabling them to evoke and label content of varying scope.

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