LINGUISTIC SPECIFICATION OF MERONYMY IN ENGLISH AND UZBEK LANGUAGES
Keywords:
Meronymy, part-whole relations, lexical semantics, semantic relations, lexical categorization, cognitive linguistics, morphosyntactic expression, semantic hierarchy, contrastive linguistics, cross-linguistic analysis.Abstract
Meronymy, understood as a semantic relation of part-whole organization, occupies a significant position in the lexical and conceptual systems of natural languages. It reflects how speakers categorize reality by identifying objects, phenomena, and abstract entities in terms of their constituent parts and structural composition. This article investigates the linguistic specification of meronymy in the English and Uzbek languages from a contrastive and descriptive perspective. The study aims to reveal how meronymic relations are encoded, structured, and function at the lexical and semantic levels in both languages. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of cultural and cognitive factors in shaping meronymic structures. Uzbek meronymic expressions often reflect traditional material culture, everyday practices, and a holistic perception of objects, while English meronymy shows a tendency toward analytical categorization influenced by scientific and technical discourse. The article also discusses the interaction of meronymy with other semantic relations such as hyponymy, synonymy, and metaphor, highlighting areas of overlap and distinction. The findings of the study contribute to a deeper understanding of semantic organization in English and Uzbek and offer valuable insights for contrastive linguistics, lexicography, translation studies, and foreign language teaching. By revealing both shared and language-specific features of meronymy, the article underscores the importance of part–whole relations as a fundamental principle of lexical meaning and conceptual representation.
