CONTRASTIVE STUDY OF IDIOMS REPRESENTING NATIONAL IDENTITY IN ENGLISH AND UZBEK

Abstract

Idiomatic expressions represent a culturally rich layer of language that reflects national values, historical experience, and collective worldview. This study offers a contrastive analysis of idioms representing national identity in English and Uzbek, focusing on their semantic, cultural, and pragmatic features. The research examines idioms related to everyday life, social relations, emotions, work ethic, and moral values, identifying both universal patterns and culture-specific imagery. The findings demonstrate that while English and Uzbek idioms perform similar communicative functions, they differ in metaphorical sources, evaluative orientation, and cultural references, thereby highlighting idioms as significant markers of national identity.