CONCEPTUAL REPRESENTATION OF THE EMOTION OF SHAME IN ENGLISH AND UZBEK CULTURES: A COGNITIVE LINGUISTIC PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

This article examines the conceptual structure of the emotional category shame in English and Uzbek linguistic worldviews from the perspective of cognitive linguistics and linguoculturology. The study aims to identify universal and culture-specific features in the conceptualization of shame by analyzing lexical-semantic networks, metaphorical models, and cultural scripts reflected in both languages. Using componential analysis, contextual interpretation, and conceptual metaphor theory, the research explores how shame-related lexemes encode social norms, moral expectations, and culturally shaped emotional experiences. The findings reveal that while English and Uzbek share a universal understanding of shame as a negative social emotion triggered by moral transgression and public evaluation, the two cultures differ significantly in their semantic categorization, metaphorical extensions, and sociocultural functions. The English linguistic system demonstrates a more individual-centered and psychologically oriented representation of shame, whereas the Uzbek system embodies collective, honor-based, and socially regulated interpretations. The study contributes to cross-cultural semantics, cognitive linguistics, and intercultural communication by showing how emotional concepts are linguistically structured and culturally motivated.