THE HUMAN BEING AS A SOURCE OF FIGURATIVE MEANING: A COGNITIVE AND LINGUOCULTURAL ANALYSIS OF ENGLISH AND UZBEK EXPRESSIONS

Abstract

Figurative expressions constitute an essential component of the linguistic representation of human experience. They provide speakers with effective means of expressing abstract ideas, emotions, personal characteristics, social relations, and evaluations through concrete and familiar images. The present study explores figurative expressions in English and Uzbek from cognitive and linguocultural perspectives, with particular emphasis on the anthropocentric principle. The research is based on the assumption that human experience serves as one of the primary sources of linguistic conceptualization. The analysis focuses on expressions associated with the human body, emotional states, intellectual activity, character, interpersonal relations, and human behavior. Comparative analysis reveals that English and Uzbek share a number of universal conceptual patterns, including the association of the heart with emotions, the head with intellectual activity, and the eyes with perception. At the same time, the linguistic realization of these concepts varies according to the cultural worldview of each speech community. The findings demonstrate that figurative expressions reflect both universal aspects of human cognition and culturally determined models of understanding reality. Their anthropocentric analysis therefore provides valuable insights into the relationship between language, thought, culture, and human experience.