Lexical Creativity in Feminine Brand Names: A Morphological Perspective

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the types of word formation processes and lexical creativity in the naming of feminine brands in Pakistan. The study uses a 90-word corpus of brand names collected from fashion, beauty and skincare industries. Using a combined qualitative and quantitative approach, the research categorizes and analyses the brand names through a morphological perspective, focusing on the word formation patterns and language combinations used. The findings reveal five type of word formation processes namely compounding, blending, derivation and inflection, acronyms and initialism. Compounding is the most frequent process used in the names and contributes to innovative as well as culturally resonant brand identities. Brands incorporate not only English as their primary language for their names but also use creative languages like Greek, French, Persian and Korean to stand out in the complex competitive market. The present study is significant as it provides a detailed morphological perspective on how brand naming practices intersect with gendered marketing and lexical innovation in a multilingual context.