A Semantic and Pragmatic Analysis of the Use of Arabic Terms in the Branding Strategy of Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI)
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This study examines the use of Arabic terms in the branding strategy of Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI) from semantic and pragmatic perspectives. The naming of products and the construction of brand narratives using Arabic terms such as wadiah, mudharabah, murabahah, hasanah, barakah, and waqf is worth investigating because these terms do not merely function as technical-financial labels, but also carry ideological, religious, and symbolic weight that contributes to institutional legitimacy in the eyes of the Muslim public. This research employs a descriptive-analytical method with two main approaches: semantic analysis, grounded in Ibrahim Anis' theory of semantic change, to reveal the lexical and technical meanings of the terms and their shift from classical fiqh discourse to modern banking discourse; and pragmatic analysis, grounded in Searle's speech act theory, to reveal the communicative functions of these Arabic expressions in BSI's institutional discourse. Data were drawn from product names, the BYOND by BSI application, the official website, and BSI promotional materials. The findings show that the Arabic terms used by BSI undergo three patterns of semantic change: narrowing in transactional fiqh terms such as wadiah, mudharabah, and murabahah; shifting in morally and religiously loaded terms such as hasanah, barakah, hajj, and mabrur; and broadening in terms such as waqf. Pragmatically, expressions such as “Assalamu'alaikum,” “Alhamdulillah,” and “Barakah” function as expressive speech acts that produce perlocutionary effects of trust reinforcement, psychological comfort, and the affirmation of BSI's Islamic identity.
Language: English
Subfield: Accounting
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7220560840