REPRESENTATION OF IDENTITIES: A STUDY OF LANGUAGE ON WHEELS

Abstract

Language written on domestic and commercial vehicles attracts people in the surrounding and is a source of entertainment. It conveys different messages and has hidden meanings also. Owners and drivers get different things written on their vehicles. This paper proposes that writings on the wheels besides attracting people represent identities of their owners and drivers. It is qualitative and exploratory study. Data were collected from 100 vehicles through observation from five crowded areas i-e Mall Road, Canal Road, Jail Road and main boulevard Gulberg of Lahore (Pakistan) through purposive sampling technique. A list of all the writings from these 100 vehicles was formed for analysis. For theoretical framework, Fairclough’s three-dimensional model in critical discourse analysis (CDA) was followed to interpret identities. Analysis of the collected data shows that these writings include phrase, verse, quotes in different styles of calligraphy and art. Analysis also highlights that people reveal their social, political, religious, cultural and intellectual identities through these inscriptions. These writings are not for just decoration and fun sake, but they convey hidden meanings too.