WHY DOES THE SAME EXPRESSION FEEL DIFFERENT IN ENGLISH AND UZBEK? A STUDY OF EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL MEANING

Аннотация

Words and expressions that are presented as equivalents in bilingual dictionaries do not always create the same impression in communication. An English expression and its Uzbek equivalent may share a basic lexical meaning but differ in emotional force, politeness, social distance, respect, intimacy, and cultural association. This study examines this difference from semantic, pragmatic, and sociolinguistic perspectives. The discussion focuses on selected English-Uzbek examples, particularly you – sen/siz, brother/sister – aka/opa, and polite request forms. The analysis shows that the difference is not usually caused by dictionary meaning alone. It arises from the interaction of lexical meaning with social relations, cultural expectations, emotional attitude, and communicative context