Observing and interpreting jiāzhuàng as a semiotic device in small business signs

This qualitative study examines three small business signs that use 夹壮 (jiāzhuàng) in the Linguistic Landscape of Nanning, the capital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in South China. Jiāzhuàng is a contact-induced language practice, meshing Putonghua (standard spoken Chinese) and Zhuàngyǔ (the officially recognized language of Guangxi’s Zhuang minority ethnic group). Adopting a lived landscape approach, this study captures and interprets photographic data of how jiāzhuàng fosters unconventional meaning-making as a semiotic device. The analysis demonstrates jiāzhuàng as linguistic processes of phonetic change and character swapping that create intentional misalignments between folk language use and what is perceived as standard. The discussion reveals that jiāzhuàng, emblematic of grassroots language planning, empowers individuals to author public signage that transgresses dominant language policies, serves as a tool for conciliatory meaning-making (e.g., sexual innuendo), and functions as a marketing strategy for small business at the periphery of the valorized urban marketplace.

本文以中国广西壮族自治区南宁市语言景观为研究对象，探讨了小商贩标牌上使用‘夹壮’的现象。‘夹壮’是由语言接触产生的民族语言变体，将普通话与壮语（官方认可的壮族本土语言）相结合，构成了一种独特的民间用语。本文采用‘生活景观’方法，通过实地观察和视觉数据捕捉（如照片），旨在揭示‘夹壮’作为符号工具在非传统意义建构中的作用。数据分析表明，‘夹壮’通过语音变化和文字替换，刻意制造了民间用语与标准用语之间的错位。基于这一现象，本文讨论了‘夹壮’作为符号工具，不仅是一种象征性的草根语言规划，也是一种委婉表达的构建手段（如性暗示），同时还能被城市市场边缘的小商贩作为营销策略使用。