The Linguistic Landscape of Peshawar: Social Hierarchies of English and its Transliterations

Abstract

This article explores the English and transliterated signs in the linguistic landscape of Peshawar. A total of 900 signs were selected out of 5000 signs collected from 36 different locations across the city. Sign locations were further categorized as rural, urban/semi-urban, and posh. The study also included twenty-one interviews with citizens featuring shopkeepers, students, teachers, waiters, and sign-writers. Informed by the signage, public perceptions, and policy documents, the study provides fresh insights into the study of English in the LL as a marker of socioeconomic status. More importantly, the Urduized transliterations suggest not only a glocalised form of language but a linguistic phenomenon indirectly proportional to the social class of the inhabitants where the signs occur.