CONTRASTIVE ANALYSIS OF LINGUOCULTURAL FEATURES IN UZBEK AND ENGLISH FOLK TALES

Abstract

Folk tales are an integral part of the cultural and linguistic heritage of any nation. 
These narratives do not merely entertain; they convey the values, norms, beliefs, and 
worldviews of the communities that produce them. This article presents a contrastive 
analysis of the linguocultural features found in Uzbek and English folk tales. It explores 
how each culture encodes its traditions, ethics, and perceptions into folk narratives 
through language. By comparing elements such as character types, moral frameworks, 
symbolic motifs, and recurring linguistic patterns, the research identifies both universal 
and culture-specific features. The study is grounded in both structural and functional 
perspectives  of  linguistics  and  cultural  anthropology.  Special  attention  is  given  to 
metaphorical  language,  idioms,  speech  acts,  and  proverbs,  as  well  as  to  cultural 
artifacts reflected in the tales. The findings demonstrate that while Uzbek folk tales 
tend to reflect collectivist and spiritual values rooted in Eastern philosophy and Islamic 
influence, English folk tales often emphasize individual agency, wit, and Christian 
moral  codes  shaped  by  Western  thought.  This  article  contributes  to  cross-cultural 
literary studies and highlights the need for preserving these cultural narratives in a 
globalized world.