Business naming practice in the provincial town of Jengka: the foreign language influence

Kamisah Ariffin, Jun Nirlawati Mohd Sahidol, Azlini Razali and Muhammad Harriz Zaini

International Journal of Business and Globalisation, 2025, vol. 40, issue 3, 187-200

Abstract: This study examined the foreign language elements in business naming practice in the provincial town of Jengka in Malaysia. It looked into the foreign languages found in the shop names and the factors that influenced the inclusion of the languages. Data were collected by capturing still images of the shop signs from the research area and interviews with owners who were willing to disclose the motivation behind their choice in the business naming. The analysis shows that foreign languages had exerted their influence in the business naming practice in this Malay-dominated, remote town. English language elements were pervasively found in the shop signs. Other elements included those of French, Arabic, Chinese, and Spanish. The findings exhibit the language trends and the language situation in this town and indicate how the owners dealt with the commercial drive to attract customers by prioritising certain languages and the increasing multilingualism in the society.

Keywords: business naming; shop names; foreign languages; Jengka. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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