American Journal Of Philological Sciences
144
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ajps
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue05 2025
PAGE NO.
144-147
10.37547/ajps/Volume05Issue05-38
Phraseological Units: Structure, Meaning, And Usage in
English And Uzbek Languages
Normuhammedova Mohinur Khayrillo kizi
English teacher of the department of Philology and teaching languages, Navoi University of Innovations, Uzbekistan
Received:
18 March 2025;
Accepted:
14 April 2025;
Published:
16 May 2025
Abstract:
In both Uzbek and English, phraseological units
—
also referred to as idioms, set expressions, or fixed
phrases
—
are essential. Cultural values, historical history, and the cognitive quirks of language speakers are all
reflected in these linguistic components. This essay offers a thorough comparison of Uzbek and English
phraseological units, emphasizing their structure, meaning, and practical use. Their origins, classification, and
cross-linguistic parallels and differences are also covered in the study.
Keywords:
Phraseological units, idioms, proverbs, collocations, set phrases, English, Uzbek, translation, semantics,
cultural differences, linguistic structure.
Introduction:
The national cultural semantics of
language are the result of historical development,
which also includes the cultural past; the richer a
nation's history, the brighter and more diverse the
content of its linguistic units. The comparative study of
the pharmacology of different languages serves to
deepen the understanding of the structure of both
languages, to enrich the knowledge of the behavior,
culture, literature, history, and customs of people who
speak these languages. Phraseologisms are the result
of long-term development, reflecting the experience of
society and passing it down from one generation to the
next. As a result, they play an important role not only
as a means of communication, but also as a source of
various socially significant information.
Research
topic
and
techniques
unrelated
phraseological units in the Uzbek and English languages
were chosen as the subject of the study. The study
employed a variety of research techniques, including
etymological
analysis,
lexicographic,
linguistic,
contextual, associative, conceptual, and semantic-
cognitive analysis. Findings and their interpretation.
It's critical to understand what a phraseological unit is
before considering its characteristics. The object of
phraseology is defined by a number of hypotheses.
Only stable substances are the focus of phraseology.
The study of phraseological units' structural
characteristics, their occurrence in the linguistic
system, and the characteristics of their usage at a
particular moment is known as phraseology.
Phraseological units are inextricably linked with the
spiritual culture, customs, profession, way of life, past,
aspirations, attitude to reality of the people who speak
the language. Much work has been done in world
linguistics on the study of phraseological units.
Although phraseological units are very ancient in terms
of origin, the history of the science of phraseology
covers almost two centuries [1]
Phraseological units are stable word combinations that
have a specialized or metaphorical meaning that is not
necessarily apparent from their component words.
They are often referred to as idioms, set expressions,
or fixed phrases. They can be divided into various
categories according to their level of structure,
significance, and fixedness. The primary categories of
phraseological units in English are listed below.
1.
Idioms
The meaning of these fixed statements cannot be
inferred from the individual words. Frequently, they
are symbolic.
Examples:
Kick the bucket (to die)
Break the ice (to reduce social stress)
American Journal Of Philological Sciences
145
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American Journal Of Philological Sciences (ISSN
–
2771-2273)
Bite the bullet (to put up with something challenging)
2.
Proverbs
These are whole phrases that convey moral teachings,
wisdom, or universal truths.
Examples
: Actions speak louder than words, A rolling
stone gathers no moss, The early bird catches the
worm.
3.
Collocations
These are naturally occurring word pairings that are
frequently predictable.
Examples
: Make a decision (instead of "do a decision"),
Strong coffee (not "powerful coffee"), Heavy rain (not
"big rain")
4.
Clichés
These are overused expressions that have lost their
uniqueness or impact.
Examples
: Better late than never, At the end of the
day, Time will tell.
5.
Phrasal Verbs
These are idiomatic verb + preposition/adverb
combinations.
Examples
: Give up (to stop doing something), Look
after (to take care of), Run out of (to have no more left)
6.
Aphorisms and Sayings
These are succinct, memorable quotes that convey a
universal reality or insight.
Examples
: No pain, no gain, Knowledge is power,
Fortune favors the bold.
7.
Binomials and Trinomials
These are fixed expressions with two or three words
joined by a conjunction, often in a specific order
Examples: Black and white (clear distinction), Give and
take (compromise), Wine, women, and song (pleasures
of life)
Proponents of top-level phraseology, on the other
hand, limit themselves to the study of fixed units of
integral portable meaning. In their phraseological
research, they study only phraseological units that are
equivalent to a compound, and do not evaluate
proverbs and sayings as objects of phraseology [2]
Phraseological units are stable word combinations
having specialized or figurative meanings in the Uzbek
language. They are crucial for enhancing speech and
adding vibrancy and expressiveness to expressions.
Like English, Uzbek phraseological units can be divided
into a number of categories.
1.
Phraseological Collocations
2.
Phraseological Unities / Idioms
3.
Proverbs
4.
Set Expressions / Fixed Phrases
5.
Sayings and Aphorisms
6.
Compound Phraseological Units
7.
Clichés and Fixed Phrases
Phraseological units are widely used in English to
improve communication, add expressiveness, and
convey meanings more effectively. The use of
phraseological units (idioms, collocations, proverbs,
and other fixed expressions) varies according to the
context, purpose, and degree of formality; the
following are important aspects of their usage:
Enriching Speech and Writing
(Phraseological units add
vibrancy, expressiveness, and interest to language.
They assist writers and presenters in condensing and
remembering
difficult
concepts),
Everyday
Conversations (In casual conversation, idioms and
collocations are frequently employed to naturally
convey feelings, responses, and ideas), Professional
and Business Communication (In formal contexts,
specific phraseological units are employed to preserve
professionalism and improve the effectiveness of
speech),
Literature
and
Creative
Writing
(Phraseological units are frequently used by writers and
poets to improve storytelling, enrich meaning, and
conjure vivid images), Journalism and Media
(Phraseological units are used in newspapers,
periodicals, and internet articles to create attention-
grabbing headlines and more interesting content),
Academic and Scientific Writing (While idioms and
informal phraseological units are usually avoided in
academic writing, certain collocations and fixed
expressions are commonly used to maintain clarity and
precision), Humor and Sarcasm (Many phraseological
units are used playfully or sarcastically to bring wit to
talks),
Cross-Cultural
and
Language
Learning
Importance (Learning phraseological units is crucial for
non-native English speakers to comprehend cultural
allusions and idioms that sound native. Gaining
proficiency in idioms enhances fluency because many
of them do not translate precisely).
When it comes to Uzbek language phraseological units
are used extensively to enhance the expressiveness,
meaning, and cultural richness of speech. Depending
on the situation, degree of formality, and goal, these
fixed expressions enhance communication by
succinctly expressing ideas, concepts, and emotions.
Everyday Conversations
(Uzbek speakers regularly
utilize phraseological units in daily speech to
communicate feelings, thoughts, and attitudes. These
phrases typically make conversations more engaging
and culturally resonant), Literature and Poetry (Uzbek
American Journal Of Philological Sciences
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American Journal Of Philological Sciences (ISSN
–
2771-2273)
poets and writers regularly use phraseological units to
produce vivid imagery, improve storytelling, and
represent cultural values. Many classical and modern
works contain idiomatic language), Proverbs and
Wisdom in Speech (Uzbek culture cherishes proverbs as
they communicate wisdom, life lessons, and ancient
values. They are commonly used in both formal and
casual communication), Journalism and Media (In order
to make the language more powerful and captivating,
phraseological units are frequently utilized in news
articles, headlines, and reports), Business and
Professional Communication (In order to make the
language
more
powerful
and
captivating,
phraseological units are frequently utilized in news
articles, headlines, and reports), Humor and Sarcasm
(In Uzbek, comedy and sarcasm are expressed through
a variety of phraseological units), Uzbek Language
Learning and Cross-Cultural Communication (Since
many idioms are specific to Uzbek culture and lack
direct counterparts in other languages, learning Uzbek
phraseological units is crucial for non-native speakers
to comprehend authentic speech and cultural
nuances).
A crucial part of language, phraseological units add to
its expressiveness and individuality. Despite being
members of distinct linguistic families
—
Uzbek is a
member of the Turkic family, while English is a member
of the Germanic branch of the Indo-European family
—
their phraseological systems are somewhat similar
because of shared cultural and cognitive experiences.
However, societal influences, history, and linguistic
structure all contribute to notable variances.
Although different academics have different definitions
of phraseological units, they generally refer to stable
word combinations that have figurative meanings that
are frequently inferred from the meanings of their
constituent words. Among the most widely used
classifications are:
1.
Idioms
–
Expressions with a meaning that
cannot be interpreted literally (e.g., "kick the bucket" in
English, "gain experience" (lit. "teeth come out") in
Uzbek, meaning to become experienced)
2.
Proverbs and Sayings
–
Fixed expressions that
carry moral or practical lessons (e.g., "Actions speak
louder than words" vs. "One who engages with many
agrees with many" (One who engages with many
agrees with many))
3.
Collocations
–
Frequently occurring word
combinations with a natural-sounding structure (e.g.,
"strong wind" vs. "strong wind").
4.
Set Phrases
–
Fixed expressions commonly
used in everyday communication (e.g., "Nice to meet
you" vs. "Nice to meet you").
The grammatical and syntactic differences between
English and Uzbek cause significant differences in the
structural composition of phraseological units. In
English, phraseological units typically follow a subject-
verb-object (SVO) structure, while in Uzbek, which is an
agglutinative language, they typically follow a subject-
object-verb (SOV) structure. This leads to distinct
patterns of phrase formation.
Furthermore, unlike English fixed expressions, Uzbek
phraseological units usually contain affixes and suffixes
that alter the core meaning.
Semantic transparency can be used to classify
phraseological units in both languages:
1.
Fully Transparent Units
–
Expressions whose
meaning is clear from the individual words (e.g., "black
and white" It is the same in Uzbek by changing the
places of the words "white-black").
2.
Semi-Transparent Units
–
Expressions where
the meaning is partially deducible (e.g., "spill the
beans" vs. "let words slip").
3.
Opaque Units
–
Expressions with meanings
completely unrelated to individual words (e.g., "kick
the bucket" vs. "give up completely").
One of the goals of phraseology as a linguistic science
is to analyze a language's phraseological Fund in detail.
The stability of phraseological units, the system of
phraseology and semantic structure of phraseological
units, their genesis, and their crucial roles are all
significant research topics in this field. One particularly
complex area of phraseology that requires in-depth
understanding of the subject matter is the translation
of phraseological units. Phraseology history is the study
of phraseological units' primary, initial forms and
meanings, their sources from all available monuments,
the areas in which they were used in various linguistic
epochs, the volume of phraseological composition, and
its systematic arrangement in a dictionary. The
relationship between a phraseological unit and a word
has recently presented researchers with a particularly
challenging problem in the development of
phraseology as a branch of linguistics. The phrasing of
this question is the subject of multiple perspectives in
contemporary linguistics. While some consider PU to
be similar to words, others highlight their association
with the word, replacing the idea of equivalency with
the
theory
of
correlation
of
phraseological
combination. It should also be noted that proverbs and
sayings, i.e. phraseologisms with sentence structure,
can only be identified using sentences, for example,
birds of a feather flock together
–
individuals who have
similar interests, opinions, and so on are drawn to each
other and remain together near proximity; the blind
guiding the blind
–
a scenario in which the one leading
American Journal Of Philological Sciences
147
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ajps
American Journal Of Philological Sciences (ISSN
–
2771-2273)
or counseling others understands as much as they do.
REFERENCES
Shcherba L.V. Language system and speech activity, L.,
1974 -288p
Amosova N. N. Fundamentals of English phraseology. -
Ed. Leningrad University. - L., 1961. - 207 p.
Kunin A.V. (1996). A Course in Phraseology. Moscow:
Vysshaya Shkola.
Ginzburg R.S., Khidekel S.S., Knyazeva G.Y., Sankin A.A.
(1979). A Course in Modern English Lexicology.
Rahmatullayev, Sh. (1978). O‘zbek tilining frazeologik
lug‘ati. Tashkent.
