Linguistic Adaptation in Cross-Border E-Commerce: A Case Study on Women’s Apparel Naming in SHEIN from Multidimensional Perspective

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-553-9_84How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Linguistic Adaptation Theory; Product Naming; Pragmatic Adaptation; Cross-Border E-Commerce

Abstract

In cross-border e-commerce realm, product naming serves as a critical factor directly impacting the effectiveness of global communication. Nevertheless, existing studies have predominantly focused on the static characteristics, while neglecting the dynamic mechanisms underlying pragmatic adaptation. Based on Linguistic Adaptation Theory (LAT), this study explores the multidimensional pragmatic adaptation mechanisms in women’s apparel naming of SHEIN, focusing on how these mechanisms operate within the dynamic context of cross-border e-commerce. The findings indicate that SHEIN skillfully integrates fashion-oriented and personalized morphemes amid dynamic market environments, adheres to structural norms of English discourse, and aligns with the pragmatic habits of target language users. Furthermore, the brand adapts to diverse linguistic and cultural settings by employing appropriate cultural symbols and steering clear of potential cultural taboos, while also conveying eco-friendly implications and corporate values through lexical items related to environmental protection. Ultimately, SHEIN’s product naming system achieves synergistic adaptation across the four core dimensions of LAT, developing a contextually responsive naming model. The result addresses the gap in existing study that focuses solely on static product naming attributes and provides valuable theoretical references and practical insights for brand naming practices in cross-border e-commerce.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Jiajin Zhang
AU  - Donghong Han
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/03/25
TI  - Linguistic Adaptation in Cross-Border E-Commerce: A Case Study on Women’s Apparel Naming in SHEIN from Multidimensional Perspective
BT  - Proceedings of the 2025 4th International Conference on Educational Science and Social Culture (ESSC 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 777
EP  - 784
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-553-9_84
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-553-9_84
ID  - Zhang2026
ER  -