LANGUAGE, MIND, AND CULTURE: A COGNITIVE STUDY OF ENGLISH AND UZBEK PHRASEOLOGY
Keywords:
phraseology, cognitive linguistics, conceptual metaphor, cultural cognition, idiomatic meaning, linguistic worldview.Abstract
This study explores the deep interconnection between language, cognition, and culture through a comparative cognitive analysis of English and Uzbek phraseology. It aims to reveal how idiomatic expressions encode conceptual metaphors that reflect the worldview and collective psychology of their speakers. Drawing upon the principles of cognitive linguistics and cultural semantics, the paper demonstrates that idioms are not arbitrary combinations of words but culturally shaped cognitive models of experience. English phraseology tends to emphasize pragmatic, action-oriented, and individualistic concepts, while Uzbek phraseology reflects moral, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of human life. By comparing the metaphorical systems of these two languages, the study highlights how culture mediates the relationship between the human mind and linguistic expression. The results underline that understanding idioms is essential not only for linguistic competence but also for insight into how people conceptualize and evaluate the world around them.
