Multilingual variation and commodification: to go in the German semiotic landscape

The English-origin phrase to go, as used in the German multilingual
semiotic landscape, e.g. on public signs in cities, has developed
meanings beyond its literal semantic meaning and with glocalised
social connotations. This analysis shows that while it can be used at
times almost equivalently to German zum Mitnehmen (‘to take away’), to
go appears on written signs in Germany in new and playful localised
ways. In addition, the connotation of to go (i.e. in contrast to zum
Mitnehmen) is that of a modern, cosmopolitan image for businesses
using it to advertise their goods and for consumers who consume
them. It has thus grown to be used emblematically, creating a positive
effect connected to the products and the shopping experience. We
discuss this in terms of commodification of this English phrase to sell an
image along with the good, and as glocalisation of a loanword into the
German cultural context.