COGNITIVE MAPPING OF FORMULAIC LANGUAGE IN UZBEK, ENGLISH, AND RUSSIAN AS A CONCEPTUAL CORPUS STUDY

Abstract

This research investigates the cognitive representation and conceptual organisation of
formulaic expressions in English, Russian, and Uzbek through a synthesis of usagebased linguistics, cognitive mapping, and corpus analysis. This study employs
COCA, the British National Corpus, and the Russian National Corpus, integrating
concepts from Construction Grammar, conceptual metaphor theory, and frame
semantics to examine the functioning of linguistic units as symbolic form-meaning
pairings shaped by frequency, entrenchment, and chunking. The study demonstrates
that formulaic expressions encapsulate both universal cognitive mechanisms,
including metaphorization, personification, and prototype-based categorisation, as
well as culturally specific conceptualisations rooted in the worldview of each
community. English terms emphasise human agency and practical problem-solving;
Russian expressions highlight perseverance, fatalism, and philosophical reflection;
while Uzbek expressions illustrate collectivist principles, agricultural symbolism, and
spiritual notions of blessing and reverence. The research illustrates that by correlating
linguistic patterns with conceptual domains such as time, effort, fate, social
connections, and emotional experience, formulaic language serves as a cognitive tool
for structuring cognition and as a cultural artefact that embodies collective social
knowledge. The findings advance cross-linguistic cognitive research by
demonstrating how corpus-derived data and conceptual mapping techniques can
reveal the deep cognitive and cultural foundations of formulaic expressions across
multiple languages