THE ROLE OF MOTION VERBS IN THE CONCEPTUALIZATION OF SPACE AND TIME: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Abstract

Abstract: Space and time are fundamental dimensions of human cognition reflected in language through various lexical and grammatical means. Among these means, motion verbs occupy a particularly important position because they not only describe physical movement but also serve as conceptual tools for understanding temporal progression and abstract experience. This study investigates the role of motion verbs in the conceptualization of space and time in English and Uzbek from a comparative cognitive-semantic perspective. The analysis demonstrates that both languages employ motion-based conceptual structures to represent temporal relations, future and past events, personal development, and social change. While English and Uzbek share similar cognitive mechanisms grounded in embodied experience, they differ in the linguistic resources through which these meanings are expressed. The findings contribute to comparative linguistics and cognitive semantics by revealing the significance of motion verbs in organizing human perception and linguistic representation.