Phraseological units with antonymous components in English and Uzbek languages

Tursunova Zuhra

University of Exact and Social Sciences

Rabiyeva Mohidil G'ayratovna

Scientific advisor

Keywords: Phraseological units, antonymous components, antonymic phraseology, English-Uzbek contrastive linguistics, linguistic duality, cultural idioms, binomial expressions, comparative phraseology.

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Abstract

Phraseological units (PUs) with antonymous components represent a distinctive category of fixed expressions that juxtapose opposing lexical or semantic elements to convey nuanced meanings, cultural insights, and rhetorical effects. This comparative study examines the structural, semantic, and cultural features of such units in English and Uzbek. In English, examples like "ups and downs," "black and white," "sink or swim," and "better safe than sorry" highlight individualism, pragmatism, and risk assessment. In Uzbek, equivalents or parallels such as "Boriga baraka, yo‘g‘iga sabr" (Blessing to what there is, patience to what there isn’t), "Ertami kechmi" (Sooner or later), and contrasts involving "yaxshi/yomon" (good/bad) or "oliy/past" (high/low) reflect communal values, wisdom, and resilience. The analysis reveals both universal patterns of linguistic duality and language-specific cultural encodings. Through contrastive methods, the study underscores challenges in translation and the role of these units in enriching expressive capacity. Findings contribute to comparative phraseology and cross-cultural linguistics.

 

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References

1. Kunin, A. V. (1972). Phraseology of the English Language. Moscow: Higher School Publishing. (pp. relevant sections on repetitions and antonyms).

2. Mamatov, A. (1998). O‘zbek tilining frazeologik lug‘ati. Tashkent: Fan. (dictionary entries on relevant proverbs and idioms).

3. Samadova, V. B. (2025). Linguistic Analysis of Phraseological Units with Antonym Components in English, Uzbek and Russian. Western European Studies Journal. (full article provides extensive examples).

4. Newmark, P. (1988). A Textbook of Translation. London: Prentice Hall. (on translation challenges, pp. 80-120 approx.).

5. Additional Uzbek sources: Works on antonymic relations in phraseology (e.g., from inlibrary.uz and uzresearchers.com publications, 2024-2025).

6. General phraseology references: Smirnitsky classifications (structural types noting antonym-based repetitions).