SEMANTIC ANALYSIS OF TOPONYMS: LAYERS OF MEANING AND CONTENT
Keywords:
Toponyms, semantic analysis, denotative meaning, connotative meaning, cultural semantics, linguistic landscape, conceptual approach, place names, semiotics, ethnolinguistics.Abstract
This article explores the semantic structure of toponyms by examining their multiple layers of meaning and content. Toponyms, as linguistic units, are not merely geographical labels but complex signs that encode historical, cultural, social, and cognitive information. The study integrates theoretical perspectives from both Uzbek and international scholars to analyze how place names function within different semantic dimensions. The research applies a conceptual-semantic approach to identify denotative, connotative, and symbolic meanings embedded in toponyms. The findings demonstrate that toponyms reflect collective memory, national identity, and linguistic evolution, making them an important object of interdisciplinary study in linguistics, cultural studies, and semiotics.
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