COMPARATIVE STUDY OF MEANING EXPANSION AND NARROWING OF QUALITATIVE ADJECTIVES IN ENGLISH AND UZBEK

UZBEK

Shamieva Nargiza Abdusattarovna PhD student, National University of

Uzbekistan

Tulegenova Jazira Xolboboyeva Nargiza

Foreign language and literature

Annotation: This article discusses the semantic changes of the meaning adjective which includes narrowing and expansion in English and Uzbek languages. Language is the means of forming thoughts and transmitting information to other people. The adjective plays a crucial role in language aspects, which describes a noun. It is natural factor that language changes in over time, so this article studies a comparative analysis of the factor influencing these changes.

Keywords: semantic changes, narrowing adjective, expansion adjective, comparative analysis.

Аннотация: Эта статья рассматривает семантические изменения значений прилагательных, включая сужение и расширение, в английском и узбекском языках. Язык является средством формирования мыслей и передачи информации другим людям. Прилагательное играет важную роль в языковых аспектах, описывая существительное. Естественным фактором является то, что язык со временем изменяется, поэтому в этой статье проводится сравнительный анализ факторов, влияющих на эти изменения.

Ключевые слова: семантические изменения, сужение прилагательных, расширение прилагательных, сравнительный анализ.

Annotatsiya: Ushbu maqolada ingliz va o‘zbek tillarida sifatlarning maʼno o‘zgarishlari, jumladan, torayish va kengayish jarayonlari ko‘rib chiqiladi. Til fikrlarni shakllantirish va boshqalarga maʼlumot yetkazish vositasidir. Sifat tilda muhim rol o‘ynaydi, chunki u otni tasvirlaydi. Tilning vaqt o‘tishi bilan o‘zgarishi tabiiy hodisadir, shuning uchun ushbu maqolada ushbu o‘zgarishlarga ta’sir qiluvchi omillar solishtirma tahlil qilinadi.

Kalit soʻzlar: semantic oʻzgarish, torayish sifati, kengayish sifati, taqqoslash.

Introduction: Language is a tool to transmit information, ideas and thoughts to other people, however over time language changes its structure and meaning of the words which influenced by linguistic factors such as extralinguistic and interlinguistic. By analyzing this information about semantic change and comparison of both languages, we aim to consider differences and patterns of language development in how adjectives change their meaning in linguistic aspect. In English, these changes often result from social and technological advancements, whereas in Uzbek they are shaped by cultural and literary influences.

Methodology: A change in meaning is called semantic change. Semantic change can occur to lexical categories, such as changes in meaning words, which used to have a specific meaning that it means nowadays, not only lexical categories may change but also in functional categories may also undergo changes: such as personal and demonstrative pronouns. It is natural occurrence for language to change meaning over time. Many historic linguists have studied this phenomenon of semantic change. In the Trask’s studies of historical linguistics explained semantic broadening and semantic narrowing.

Elizabeth Traugott1 has been trying to prove some regularity of semantic change. She considers three tendencies in semantic change.

Tendency 1: external descriptions of reality become internal descriptions of perceptions and evolutions.

Tendency 2: external and internal descriptions become textual meanings – that is, they acquire meanings that give over the structure to discourse.

Tendency 3: meanings become increasingly based in speaker’s subjective beliefs and attitudes.

Literature review: In our article analysis that semantic changes have been studied by many linguists, they studied language changes its structure over time, and we think that extralinguistic factors also influence on language change. For example, Lakoff and Johnson2 (1980) in their studies uncovered that “the semantic evolution of words is linked to human cognition, worldview and methods of conceptualization”. This theory explains that meaning expansion often occurs through the concretization of abstract concept, whereas meaning narrowing is associated with the specialization of general notions. Additionally, studying semantic transformations in English and Uzbek language is crucial for translation studies and lexicography. Ferdinand de Saussure3 is a Swiss linguist, who examined the issue of synchrony and diachrony. His main thesis is that “at any given moment, speech activity presupposes both an established system and evolution, at any moment, language is both a living activity and a product of the past”. Other historic linguists, Brinton and Traugott4 also examined semantic transformation which includes narrowing and expansion.

In Uzbek studies, A. Berdaliev and I. Ermatov5 in their books, studied what is narrowing and broadening, when did it change and which factors have been influenced on change of meaning.

Results: In linguists, the semantic changes of adjectives occur under the influence of various factors, leading to the expansion or narrowing of their meaning. The narrowing broadening of adjectives meaning is a process in which their sense becomes more specific or more general depending on the context. Linguistic evolution was studied not only from a linguistic analysis perspective or historical theories but also from psycholinguistic and sociolinguistic viewpoints.

Meaning narrowing also known as specialization, is a linguistic process in which a word’s meaning becomes more specific over time. This phenomenon is an essential aspect of semantic change, occurring as languages evolve and adapt to new communicative needs. It often results from cultural, social and technological shifts that influence the way words are used and understood by speakers. For example:

1 Traugott E. C. Semantic change //Oxford research encyclopedia of linguistics. – Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017.

2 Lakoff G., Johnson M. Metaphors we live by. – University of Chicago press, 2008. 3 Willems K. Saussure on synonymy //Cahiers Ferdinand de Saussure. – 2021. – С. 115-134.

4 Brinton L. J., Traugott E. C. Lexicalization and language change. – Cambridge University Press, 2005.

5 Berdialiyev A., Ermatov I. Hozirgi o'zbek adabiy tili (Leksikologiya, frazeologiya, leksikografiya) //T.:" TURONIQBOL" nashriyoti. – 2021. – Т. 20

Narrowing of adjective meanings in Uzbek language

To’r (narrow) “narrow” in a

physical sense

Describe abstract

limitations- to’r

fikr (narrow mindedness)

Yashil (green) It meant “fresh or

young”

It means the color

“green”

Narrowing of adjective meanings in English language

Silly Meant “happy,

blessed

or fortunate”

It means “foolish

or not

serious”

Sad “serious,

important”

“unhappy and

sorrowful”

Expansion of adjective meanings in Uzbek language occurs when word’s meaning becomes more inclusive than its original sense. For example:

Expansion of adjective meanings in Uzbek language

Katta (big) Katta uy (big

house)

Katta masu’liyat (big

responsibility)

O’tkir (sharp) O’tkir pichoq

(sharp knife)

O’tkir aql (sharp mind)

In English language semantic expansionplays a crucial

role in sharping communication, allowing word to adapt to new and usages. For example:

Expansion of adjective meanings in English language

Cool It meant low-

temperature (The weather

is cool today)

“stylish or

admirable” (The jacket

looks so

cool)

Terrific Originally meant

“causing terror”

It means

“excellent or

great”

Conclusion: In conclusion, semantic expansion and narrowing of adjective meaning in Uzbek and English languages are essential linguistic process. Many historical and psychological linguists were explored semantic change by using special methods. They explained how extralinguistic factor can influence on language's structure, such as historical and sociological aspects may transform the meaning of the words, not only these factors affect but also influence of other languages play a significant role in language change. We consider that technological devices also affect the language and loses value of using words. Understanding this phenomenon provides valuable insight into historical language development and the mechanisms that shape modern vocabulary.

REFERENCES

1. Abdurakhmonova N., Shamieva N. Creating an English-Uzbek Bilingual Thesaurus of Frequently Used Adjectives in Uzbek Corpus //2024 IEEE 3rd International Conference on Problems of Informatics, Electronics and Radio Engineering (PIERE). – IEEE, 2024. – С. 1640- 1644.

2. Millar R. M. C., Trask R. L. Trask's historical linguistics. – Routledge, 2015.

3. Willems K. Saussure on synonymy //Cahiers Ferdinand de Saussure. – 2021. – С. 115-134.

4. Traugott E. C. Semantic change //Oxford research encyclopedia of linguistics. – Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2017.

5. Lakoff G., Johnson M. Metaphors we live by. – University of Chicago press, 2008.

6. Berdialiyev A., Ermatov I. Hozirgi o'zbek adabiy tili (Leksikologiya, frazeologiya, leksikografiya)

//T.:" TURONIQBOL" nashriyoti. – 2021. – Т. 204

7. Campbell L. Glossary of historical linguistics. – Edinburgh University Press, 2007.

8. Brinton L. J., Traugott E. C. Lexicalization and language change. – Cambridge University Press, 2005.