THEORETICAL ASPECTS IN THE FORMATION OF
PEDAGOGICAL SCIENCES
International scientific-online conference
181
SOMATIC PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS IN ENGLISH AND UZBEK: A
REFLECTION OF HUMAN SOCIAL ROLES AND FAMILY RELATIONS
Jumanazarov Samandar Urinovich
Teacher of foreign languages
Karshi state technical university
jumanazarovsamandar45@gmail.com
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15671351
Abstract:
This paper explores the somatic phraseological units in English
and Uzbek languages, focusing on how they reflect human social roles and
familial relationships. Somatic phraseologisms idiomatic expressions involving
parts of the human div—offer deep insights into cultural perceptions and
societal values. By conducting a comparative analysis, the study reveals that
many div-related idioms in both languages serve as metaphors for human
behavior, emotions, and relational dynamics within both societal and domestic
contexts. English idioms such as “backbone of the company” or “cold shoulder”
convey individual responsibility or emotional detachment, while Uzbek
expressions like “tizzasiga o‘tqazmoq” or “ko‘z qulog‘i bo‘lmoq” emphasize
intimacy, respect, and collectivist family structures. The study uses a qualitative
method, drawing data from phraseological dictionaries and corpora, and
analyzes how somatic metaphors mirror cultural frameworks. The findings
highlight the significant role phraseology plays in shaping and expressing social
and familial worldviews. The article presents theoretical ideas in this regard and
proves them with examples.
Keywords:
Somatic phraseologisms, div idioms, social roles, family
relations, cultural linguistics, inner world, idioms, cultural linguistics,
comparative analysis. div idioms, social roles, family relations, cultural
linguistics
Language is not only a means of communication but also a mirror of
cultural and social realities. Among the most culturally loaded linguistic units
are phraseological expressions, especially those that involve parts of the human
div—referred to as
somatic phraseologisms.
These idioms do more than
simply enrich vocabulary; they often encode culturally significant views on
human behavior, emotions, and interpersonal relationships.
In both English and Uzbek languages, somatic idioms are abundant and
widely used in everyday speech. These expressions reflect how speakers of each
language conceptualize the human div and its metaphorical extension into the
social and familial domains. For instance, idioms like “cold shoulder” in English
or “ko‘nglini ovlamoq” in Uzbek not only include somatic references but also
reveal attitudes toward social distance, emotional connection, or family
dynamics.
The exploration of somatic phraseological units provides insight into how
different cultures understand concepts like respect, hierarchy, intimacy, and
individualism. English, often associated with Western individualism, tends to
THEORETICAL ASPECTS IN THE FORMATION OF
PEDAGOGICAL SCIENCES
International scientific-online conference
182
produce idioms that emphasize personal autonomy and emotional boundaries.
In contrast, Uzbek, rooted in Eastern collectivist values, frequently uses idioms
to emphasize closeness, respect for elders, and the importance of extended
family ties.
This paper aims to explore how somatic phraseological units in English and
Uzbek reflect human roles within society and family structures. It seeks to
identify both the commonalities and differences in how these two languages use
the human div metaphorically to articulate social and familial relationships.
The research addresses the following questions:
How are div-related idioms used to express human roles in society and
family in English and Uzbek?
What cultural values and worldviews are reflected through somatic
phraseology in both languages?
To what extent do these idioms overlap or diverge in meaning and usage?
To answer these questions, the study will undertake a qualitative,
comparative analysis of somatic idioms drawn from reliable lexicographic
sources and will interpret them through the lens of cultural linguistics and
metaphor theory.
The study of phraseological units, particularly those involving div parts—
somatic phraseologisms—requires a multidisciplinary approach, drawing upon
fields such as phraseology, cognitive linguistics, cultural linguistics, and
metaphor theory. In this section, the key theoretical underpinnings are outlined,
followed by a review of relevant literature.
Somatic phraseologisms are idiomatic expressions that contain names of
human div parts (e.g., head, heart, eye, hand) and convey figurative meanings
beyond the literal sense. For example, the English idiom “to have a big mouth”
refers to someone who talks too much or reveals secrets, while the Uzbek idiom
“og‘zini poylamoq” implies being cautious about what someone says or does.
Scholars such as Kunin (1996) and Gläser (1988) have defined
phraseologisms as stable word combinations whose meaning is not deducible
from the meanings of their individual components. Somatic idioms, specifically,
serve as metaphorical mappings of physical experience onto abstract concepts
like emotion, morality, power, and social relationships.
A significant theoretical foundation for the interpretation of somatic
phraseologisms comes from Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT), as developed
by
George Lakoff and Mark Johnson
in their seminal work Metaphors We Live
By (1980). According to CMT, human cognition is largely metaphorical, and
bodily experiences serve as primary sources for abstract thinking. For instance,
idioms like “carry the weight of the world on one’s shoulders” or “open-hearted”
are grounded in physical sensations but express emotional or psychological
states.
Lakoff and Johnson’s theory supports the idea that many somatic idioms are
not random but are based on systematic conceptual metaphors such as:
THEORETICAL ASPECTS IN THE FORMATION OF
PEDAGOGICAL SCIENCES
International scientific-online conference
183
THE BODY IS A CONTAINER FOR EMOTION
(e.g., heart full of love, ko‘ngli
to‘q)
SEEING IS KNOWING
(e.g., turn a blind eye, ko‘zini ochmoq)
CLOSENESS IS INTIMACY
(e.g., be hand in hand, tizzasiga o‘tqazmoq)
While metaphor theory explains the cognitive mechanisms behind idioms,
Cultural Linguistics
(Sharifian, 2017) helps in understanding how cultural
values and social norms shape and are shaped by language. According to this
framework, idiomatic expressions are “cultural conceptualizations” reflecting
shared beliefs and practices.
In English, idioms often reflect values such as individualism, personal space,
and independence. Phrases like “stand on one’s own feet” or “keep at arm’s
length” emphasize personal agency and boundaries. Uzbek idioms, on the other
hand, reflect collectivist values, deference to elders, and interconnectedness—
“ko‘nglidan joy olmoq” or “ko‘z qulog‘i bo‘lmoq” indicate emotional proximity
and loyalty.
Comparative studies on phraseology across languages have highlighted
both universal patterns and culturally specific elements. For example:
Dobrovol’skij and Piirainen (2006)
emphasized cross-cultural idiomatic
meanings and metaphorical universality.
Teliya (1996)
discussed phraseologisms as a key to national worldviews.
In Uzbek linguistics, scholars such as
Sayfiyev (2007)
and
Abdurahmonova (2015)
have examined the semantic and cultural aspects of
div-related idioms in Uzbek.
In English-language research, idiomatic usage has been widely documented
in dictionaries (e.g., Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms) and corpora (e.g., BNC,
COCA).
Despite numerous studies in both languages, direct comparisons of somatic
phraseologisms with a focus on
social and family roles
remain relatively
underexplored. This study aims to contribute to filling that gap.
This study adopts a
qualitative and comparative
approach to analyze
somatic phraseological units in English and Uzbek. The methodology involves
selecting relevant idioms containing div part references from both languages
and analyzing their figurative meanings in the context of
social roles
and
family
relations
.
The primary data for this study were collected from the following sources:
English sources:
Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms
Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms
Corpus data from the
British National Corpus (BNC)
and
Corpus of
Contemporary American English (COCA)
Uzbek sources:
O‘zbek tilining frazeologik lug‘ati (Uzbek Phraseological Dictionary)
Works by Uzbek linguists (e.g., Sayfiyev, Abdurahmonova)
THEORETICAL ASPECTS IN THE FORMATION OF
PEDAGOGICAL SCIENCES
International scientific-online conference
184
Uzbek language corpora and authentic usage examples from media and
literature
A total of approximately
60 idioms
were selected—30 from each language.
The selection criteria were as follows:
Contain at least one
div part
(e.g., head, eye, hand, heart, back, foot)
Convey a
figurative meaning
related to human
social roles
(e.g.,
leadership, marginalization) or
family relationships
(e.g., closeness, respect,
conflict)
Actively used in
modern spoken or written language
The selected idioms were examined using two main frameworks:
1.Conceptual Metaphor Analysis
Idioms were grouped under conceptual metaphors (e.g., CLOSENESS IS
INTIMACY, THE BODY REPRESENTS STATUS) based on Lakoff & Johnson’s
theory. This helped reveal how bodily experience is metaphorically mapped
onto social/familial behavior.
2.Cultural Semantic Comparison
Each idiom was analyzed in its
cultural context
, considering:
Literal translation
Figurative meaning
Cultural implications
Possible equivalents or contrasts in the other language
A comparative table was created to juxtapose English and Uzbek idioms
that either
share a similar metaphor
or
demonstrate cultural divergence
.
Through this method, the study seeks to answer:
What div-part idioms in English and Uzbek reflect common social and
family experiences?
Which idioms reveal
universal metaphorical patterns
?
Which idioms reflect
culture-specific values
, such as collectivism vs.
individualism?
In this section, selected somatic idioms from English and Uzbek are
analyzed to reveal how div-part metaphors reflect human social roles and
family relationships. The discussion is organized into two thematic categories:
social roles
and
familial relations
.
English Examples:
“Backbone of the company”
Literal:
Refers to the spine
Figurative meaning:
A crucial or most important person in a group or
organization
Cultural note:
Highlights the value placed on
individual responsibility
and
personal strength
in Western, particularly American, society.
“To elbow someone out”
Literal:
To
push
someone
using
your
elbow
Figurative meaning:
To force someone out of a position or opportunity
THEORETICAL ASPECTS IN THE FORMATION OF
PEDAGOGICAL SCIENCES
International scientific-online conference
185
Cultural note:
Reflects the
competitive and individualistic
nature of some
English-speaking societies.
“Cold shoulder”
Literal:
Turning the shoulder away from someone
Figurative meaning:
To ignore or show indifference
Cultural note:
Indicates
emotional distance
and personal boundaries.
Uzbek Examples:
“Tizzasiga o‘tqazmoq”
Literal:
To seat someone on one's lap
Figurative meaning:
To show deep care or treat with high
affection/respect
Cultural note:
Reflects
closeness, mentorship, or hierarchy
, often seen
in teacher-student or elder-child relations.
“Ko‘zga ko‘rinmas”
Literal:
Not visible to the eye
Figurative meaning:
A person who is passive, marginalized, or
unnoticeable
Cultural note:
Suggests the
loss of social value
or
disconnection
from the
community.
“Og‘zini poylamoq”
Literal:
To watch someone’s mouth
Figurative meaning:
To be extremely cautious about what someone says
(or to listen attentively with respect)
Cultural note:
Indicates
respect toward authority
or elders, showing the
importance of speech in social interaction.
English Examples:
“Blood is thicker than water”
Literal:
Blood
has
more
density
than
water
Figurative meaning:
Family ties are stronger than other relationships
Cultural note:
Emphasizes the
enduring loyalty within family
, even in
individualistic cultures.
“Wear your heart on your sleeve”
Literal:
Display the heart visibly
Figurative meaning:
To openly show emotions
Cultural note:
Reflects emotional honesty in relationships, including
familial.
This study has explored the role of somatic phraseological units in
reflecting human social roles and familial relationships in English and Uzbek.
The comparative analysis reveals both universal tendencies and culturally
specific features that shape how div-related idioms are constructed and
interpreted in each language.
One of the key findings is that both English and Uzbek extensively utilize
div metaphors—particularly those involving the heart, eyes, hands, and
THEORETICAL ASPECTS IN THE FORMATION OF
PEDAGOGICAL SCIENCES
International scientific-online conference
186
back—to express abstract concepts such as authority, respect, emotional
closeness, marginalization, and care. This supports the Conceptual Metaphor
Theory, which argues that bodily experience serves as a basis for structuring
abstract thought.
References:
1. Qodirova, G. (2018). “O‘zbek tilidagi somatik frazeologizmlarning
lingvokulturologik xususiyatlari.” Filologiya Masalalari, vol. 2.
2. Sayqalieva, M. (2020). “Somatik frazeologizmlar orqali inson psixologiyasining
ifodalanishi.” Til va Adabiyot, vol. 3.
3. Sinha, C. & L. A. Thorseng, 1995, “A Coding System for Spatial Relational
Reference”, Cognitive Linguistics, 6-2/3, 261-309.
4. Brugman, C. 1988. The Story of Over: Polysemy, Semantics, and the
Structure of the Lexicon. New York: Garland.
5. S. U. Jumanazarov. (2022). Acquisition of writing in the early stages of
learning English
6. Jackendoff, R. (1983). Semantics and cognition. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
7. Chomskiy, N. 1965 Aspects of the Theory of Syntax, Cambridge, Mass.: MIT
Press.
8. Fauconnier, G. 1985 Mental Spaces: Aspects of Meaning Construction in
Natural Language, Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.
9. Fauconnier, G. & E. Sweetser (eds.) 1996 Spaces, Worlds, and Grammar,
Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
10. Jumanazarov Samandar Urinovich. (2023). Use of internet resources in the
process of learning english as a foreign language.
11. Cambridge Idioms Dictionary. (2022). Cambridge University Press.
