WORD FORMATION PROCESSES IN PAKISTANI CLOTHING BRAND NAMES AND ADVERTISING SLOGANS: A MORPHOLOGICAL STUDY

Abstract

This paper aims to examine the word formation processes employed in the advertising slogans and brand names of specific Pakistani wear companies. The present study is based on Plag’s (2018) framework to find out, categorize and analyze the most dominant word formation processes in Pakistani commercial discourse. The research emphases on how clothing brand names and advertising slogans mirror morphological processes such as compounding, borrowing, semantic repurposing, coinage and blending. Furthermore, the study investigates how English and Urdu are blended dynamically in commercial language to reflect multilingual background of Pakistani society. This research uses qualitative descriptive research design to highlight linguistic interpretation rather than numerical measurement. The data consist of 10 Pakistani advertising slogans and 10 clothing brand names taken from both established and up-coming fashion brands such as Sapphire, Khaadi, Outfitters, Bonanza Satrangi, Limelight, Beechtree and Nishat linen. The research collects information from digital advertisements, social media sites and billboards. The data was methodologically examined using Plag’s (2018) framework of word formation. The results reveal that most frequently used word formation methods are compounding and borrowing. The findings also show that how Pakistani clothing brands mix English and Urdu words to create expressions that are culturally meaningful and attractive for audiences.  This study explains Pakistani wear brands use language to represent uniqueness, modernity and social identity. The research provides useful knowledge for linguists and marketers to understand how creative word formation helps brands to communicate effectively by advancing the domains of advertising discourse and morphology