Journal Article

Linguistic Dimensions of Branding: Morphological Structures in Tearoom and Coffeeshop Names

Abalkheel, Albatool M.

2025

Overview

The purpose of this study is to investigate the development and meaning of morphological structures and the cultural importance of tearooms and coffeeshops' naming conventions. Over time, store names became bolder and less literal, more impactful and with symbolic meaning, as did the consumer favor and the branding technique. The research reveals that a store’s name plays a significant role in shaping the consumer perception about the brand, building brand loyalty, and creating the identity of the market. A survey of female undergraduate students in Qassim, Saudi Arabia, using a mixed methods approach, showed that in coffeeshops, certain names in English and colloquial Arabic are preferred, whereas in tearooms, preferential naming is in Standard Arabic. The findings are analyzed, and it is found that triliteral Arabic names are preferred in coffeeshops and cultural names in tearooms. The study thus emphasises further the importance of linguistic elements (phonetics, semantics) in building brand recall, consumer engagement, which the study has subsequently proven. The research in general states that to create a strong brand identity and attract consumers in competitive market conditions, they have to use a culturally relevant and memorable naming strategy. As a topic for future research, the morphological characteristic is proposed to be explored in a variety of cultural contexts and industries.