Analysis of Linguistic Strategies in Naming Restaurants and Street Food Stalls in Thailand: A Comparative Linguistic Landscape

Authors

  • Onprapin Kittiveja

    Department of Language Sciences and Cultures, Kasetsart University, Kamphaeng Saen Campus, Nakhon Pathom 73140, Thailand
  • Udomkrit Srinon

    Department of Language Sciences and Cultures, Kasetsart University, Kamphaeng Saen Campus, Nakhon Pathom 73140, Thailand
  • Pongpan Srimuang

    Department of Business Administration and Accountancy, Kasetsart University, Kamphaeng Saen Campus, Nakhon Pathom 73140, Thailand

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i6.9126
Received: 17 March 2025 | Revised: 7 April 2025 | Accepted: 5 June 2025 | Published Online: 19 June 2025

Abstract

The linguistic landscape is a prominent issue that contributes to a better society and an understanding of human language use for communication. This research aims to analyze the linguistic strategies in naming restaurants and street food stalls, termed ergonyms, which are a subset of urbanonyms, in Nakhon Pathom province, Thailand. Employing a critical toponymy framework, the study explores how these naming strategies reflect socio-cultural values, marketing practices, and power dynamics. Data consisting of 200 restaurant and stall names were collected. The analysis identified six key linguistic strategies, including code-switching, expressions of politeness and impoliteness, and the integration of logos with textual elements. This study elucidates how linguistic creativity is utilized for marketing purposes in this specific context. The findings contribute to understanding naming preferences and offer valuable insights for businesses seeking to name their establishments effectively, particularly for stall owners and customers. By incorporating these suggestions, this research provides valuable insights into the linguistic landscape of restaurants and street food stalls in Thailand. It is suggested that naming signboards depends on target groups of people and the linguistic, socio-cultural and marketing related factors and strategies. Furthermore, the study contributes to the fields of linguistics, education, and business, offering practical knowledge for businesses operating in this niche market.

Keywords:

Linguistic Naming; Linguistic Landscape; Critical Toponymy; Ergonyms; Urbanonyms; Restaurants; Street Food Stalls; Strategies

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How to Cite

Kittiveja, O., Srinon, U., & Srimuang, P. (2025). Analysis of Linguistic Strategies in Naming Restaurants and Street Food Stalls in Thailand: A Comparative Linguistic Landscape. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(6), 1167–1180. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i6.9126

Issue

Vol. 7 , Iss. 6 (July 2025)

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Article

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Copyright © 2025 Onprapin Kittiveja, Udomkrit Srinon, Pongpan Srimuang

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This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.