10:52 Aug 10, 2009 

It is difficult to find an exact term to translate “bolan” used in everyday language (localism) in Bosnia, but for sure it is not insulting unless it is used in “insulting context”. A word itself means painful or sick, ill, and it is a part of longer phrase – bolan ne bio – meaning: “don’t be sick” but it is usually used in shorter version, i.e only bolan. All together, it’s a kind of a prop-word very common in Bosnia and could be understood as “brother”, “man”. A similar term, but for females is “bona” (coming from “bolna”) and means “woman”, “sister”, etc. Sometimes it is used to express wandering or a kind of protest, but it is rarely offensive.