NEGOTIATING TRADITION AND CORPORATE MODERNITY: A MULTIDIMENSIONAL ELLA 2.0 ANALYSIS OF THE LINGUISTIC LANDSCAPE OF LAHORE’S WALLED CITY

Abstract

This study investigates the linguistic landscape of Lahore’s Walled City through a multidimensional application of the ELLA 2.0 framework, integrating geosemiotic and multimodal analysis. Drawing on a curated corpus of 800 signage units, the study examineshow linguistic, visual, and material resources construct identity and negotiate urban space within a historically layered commercial environment. The findings indicate a process of Semiotic Overwrite, in which English functions as a dominant resource for indexing modernity, while Urdu is increasingly relegated to religious and operational domains. The shift from traditional khattati(calligraphy) to digitally produced signage, alongside the growing use of synthetic materials, reflects a reconfiguration of semiotic practices and commercial aesthetics. This transformation is further associated with the emergence of the Global Transactional Subject, as local merchants extend their presence through digitally mediated platforms. While these developments enhance economic visibility and connectivity, they also raise concerns regarding Cultural Amnesiaand the reduced prominence of historically embedded visual forms. The study contributes to linguistic landscape scholarship by demonstrating how processes of semiotic restructuring operate within a South Asian urban context, offering insights into the interaction of globalization, materiality, and identity in contemporary commercial spaces.