How come "chulada" in Spain is almost an antonym from it's meaning in Guatemala and Mexico?

Question

I just find utterly curious that chulada has almost opposite meanings depending on the country.

chulada. (De chulo).

1. f. Acción indecorosa, propia de gente de mala educación o ruin condición.

   ...

2. f. Guat. y Méx. Belleza de las personas.

I've tried to find out an evolution process for this word, but I haven't been succesful. Has somebody an idea?

Answer 1

I have to say that I'm really surprised about the first definition of chulada you included, I had never heard it with that meaning... I may use chulería with that sense...

Obviously it should be correct because it's in the dicionary, but I'd only use the word chulada with the meaning of the second definition in the dictionary -which you omitted-:

Dicho o hecho gracioso con cierta soltura y desenfado.

And in this case, the meanings in Spain and in Guatemala and México seem to be much more similar, don't they?

Answer 2

We have to search the answer in the original word: chulo. In Spain we have to basic meanings:

1) (adj.) cool, nice (thing),

2) (adj. normally used as a noun) arrogant, conceited (person)

Thus, the apparently opposite meanings of the word chulada seem to have a reasonable origin, and it's another matter to find the origin of the meanings of chulo.

Nevertheless, I would rather use chulería than chulada (for the "bad" meaning).

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Tenemos que buscar la respuesta en la palabra original: chulo. En España tenemos dos significados básicos:

1)(adj.) guay, lindo (objeto),

2)(adj. normalmente sustantivado) arrogante, prepotente (persona).

Así, la aparente contradicción entre los significados de la palabra chulada parece tener un origen razonable, y es otra cuestión encontrar el origen de los significados de chulo.

Sin embargo, yo usaría chulería antes que chulada (para el significado "malo").

Answer 3

I've heard the word "Chulo" refering someone as a "Pimp", so it could be used as a bad word.

But the word "Chulada" is always used to say something is really amazing or beautiful.