CULTURAL CODES AND EXPRESSIONS OF NATIONAL COLOUR IN UZBEK NATIONAL FOOD NAMES

Annotatsiya

This article examines the cultural codes and expressions of national colour represented in the names of Uzbek national dishes. Food names constitute an important component of a nation’s linguistic and cultural heritage because they preserve information about historical experience, traditions, social relations, geographical environment, lifestyle, and national worldview. The study focuses on the linguistic and linguocultural characteristics of Uzbek food names and identifies the cultural meanings encoded in such lexical units as palov, sumalak, norin, somsa, manti, chuchvara, mastava, shurpa, and dimlama. Particular attention is paid to the relationship between the semantic structure of food names and traditional Uzbek concepts of hospitality, family, community, celebration, seasonal rituals, and social solidarity. The research employs descriptive, semantic, linguocultural, comparative, and contextual methods. The analysis demonstrates that Uzbek food names function not merely as designations of culinary products but also as cultural signs that transmit collective memory and national identity. Their cultural codes become especially evident when the names are considered together with the customs, rituals, methods of preparation, and social contexts associated with them. The study concludes that the systematic investigation of Uzbek food terminology contributes to the preservation of intangible cultural heritage and provides valuable material for comparative linguistics, translation studies, intercultural communication, and the study of national identity