FLORAL-COMPONENT IDIOMS IN ENGLISH AND UZBEK: A COGNITIVE-SEMANTIC TYPOLOGY

Abstract

Idiomatic expressions with floral components constitute a distinct and culturally loaded segment of figurative language, reflecting the deep-rooted symbolic associations of flowers in human cognition and communication. This study offers a comparative cognitive-semantic analysis of floral idioms in English and Uzbek, drawing on data from authoritative monolingual and bilingual phraseological dictionaries, literary corpora, and oral folklore sources. Employing the theoretical framework of Conceptual Metaphor Theory and principles of cognitive semantics, the research identifies recurrent conceptual domains—such as beauty, love, vitality, transience, and moral virtue—embedded in both languages. The analysis further reveals notable culture-specific divergences: while English idioms often derive from historical, literary, and botanical traditions shaped by Western cultural narratives, Uzbek idioms are more closely tied to agrarian life, folklore, and Islamic symbolism. The findings highlight both universal and culture-bound metaphorical mappings, offering insights into the interplay between linguistic form, cognitive processes, and cultural worldview. In addition to contributing to the typology of idioms across languages, the study underscores the importance of floral symbolism in intercultural communication and translation studies. The research has implications for cognitive linguistics, cross-linguistic semantics, and applied fields such as lexicography, bilingual education, and intercultural pragmatics.