COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS EXPRESSING INTELLECTUAL ABILITY IN ENGLISH AND UZBEK

Abstract

Phraseological units (idioms, fixed expressions) play a crucial role in reflecting national culture, cognitive patterns, and the worldview of a society. This study provides a comparative analysis of phraseological units expressing intellectual ability in English and Uzbek. Using a corpus of fiction prose from both languages, idioms such as “a bright mind,” “sharp as a tack,” “have a good head on one’s shoulders” in English and “boshi ishlaydi,” “zehni o‘tkir,” “aql-zakovati baland” in Uzbek were analyzed. The study focuses on semantic, functional, and linguocultural characteristics, highlighting similarities and differences in how intellectual ability is represented. The results indicate that metaphorical structures dominate in both languages, while cultural and historical factors shape specific expressions. The research provides valuable insights for cross-linguistic phraseology, translation studies, and literary analysis