ILMIY VA PROFESSIONAL TA’LIM JARAYONIDA MULOQOT, FAN VA MADANIYATLAR
INTEGRATSIYASI
542
Samarkand State Institute of Foreign Languages
PRAGMATIC-DISCURSIVE AND CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES OF BRITISH AND
UZBEK HUMOUR
Nodira Kobilova
, senior teacher of KIUT
Sevara Mamatova,
student of KIUT
Abstract:
This article examines the fundamental function of humor in interpersonal
communication, highlighting how important it is for creating and preserving social ties. From
simple jokes to complex humorous expressions, humor may take many different forms, and its
creation varies according on personal interactions. Jokes, unplanned conversational humor, and
unintentional humor are the three categories of humor that the article distinguishes between.
Each sort of humor has a distinct societal purpose, such as lowering stress and promoting group
cohesiveness. The cultural aspect of humor is also emphasized, as jokes have diverse meanings
in different countries and are frequently connected to social standards and mockery. The article
illustrates how cultural context shapes comedy with examples of Uzbek and British jokes.
Key words:
pragmatics, humour, cultural reference, intercultural communication.
Jokes are a vital component of human communication and are important for building strong links
and fostering friendly relationships. According to Walker (1998), humor is "the ability to smile,
laugh, and make others do so... humor takes many forms, ranging from the casual joke told to
friends to the sophistication of a Shakespearean comedy" (p.4). Individuals and their social
connections influence the way humor is created. People who are skilled at making others laugh
are frequently admired because they appreciate the happy feelings that comedy evokes. People
who enjoy humor and humorists are considered to have a "good sense of humor," which enables
them to chuckle or smile in response to amusing events (Morrison, 2012, p.25).
Three main forms of humor are jokes, which are "something said or done to provoke laughter"
(Snyder, 2011, p. 51); spontaneous conversational humor, which is created purposefully by
people during social events; and accidental or unintentional humor, which involves actions or
words that cause laughter but are not meant to be funny (Morrison, 2012, p. 25). Jokes, stories,
and anecdotes help staff members of companies to increase group cohesiveness, lower stress, and
cure boredom (Block, Browning & McGrath, 1976). Humor is a useful social skill in addition to
a nice way to pass the time when bored. Jokes' societal purpose makes them quite helpful and
powerful. People often laugh less, for instance, when they watch an amusing television show by
themselves, but laughter is much more noticeable when they watch it with others. Among their
peers, people who make jokes usually enjoy better popularity (Wanzer, Booth-Butterfield &
Booth-Butterfield, 1996).
Though humor plays a part in many discourses, current linguistics has not thoroughly
investigated its linguistic and cultural value. Every society has unique funny lines, and many
relate jokes with "ridicule." Many people define humor as "ridicule"—that is, knowledge of
humor requires one to know who is being ridiculed, how, and why (Gruner, 1978, p. 14).
Laughing results when people feel a happy state of mind since a joke is a kind of internal re-
identification of society and cultural reality (Apte, 1985).
Culture and humor are closely related, and as people understand jokes according to their own
cultural perspectives, cultural values and quirks are quite significant. There are significant
cultural differences in humor. For instance, jokes that British people find hilarious may not be
understood or appreciated by Uzbeks, whereas jokes that Uzbeks find amusing may not be
humorous to them.
British comedy frequently draws on their history and culture. If Uzbek people are more in tune
with British culture, they will be better able to grasp British humor. If not, these jokes could
come off as strange or unrelated.
For instance:
ILMIY VA PROFESSIONAL TA’LIM JARAYONIDA MULOQOT, FAN VA MADANIYATLAR
INTEGRATSIYASI
543
Samarkand State Institute of Foreign Languages
“Excuse me,” said the detective as he presented himself at the door of the music academy, “but I
hope you’ll give me what information you have, and not make any fuss.”
“What do you mean?” was the indignant inquiry.
“Why, you see, we got a tip from the house next door that somediv was murdering Wagner,
and the chief sent me down here to work on the case.”
The joke is mostly dependent on language ambiguity and cultural understanding, and it is a
brilliant play on words and cultural allusions. Let's dissect it and examine the reasons why
certain individuals might not understand it, particularly from a cultural standpoint. Richard
Wagner is a German composer whose music is intricate and frequently seen as difficult to
execute. The joke depends on the audience being aware of Wagner's identity and realizing that
the term "murdering Wagner" refers to performing his work badly and is often used in musical
circles. The punchline is ineffective without this information. The allusion may be completely
lost in societies where Wagner's compositions are not well-known or Western classical music is
less prevalent.
Additionally, certain words in a language might have many meanings, which can make
punchline difficult to comprehend. Here is an example:
A: "Do you believe in clubs for young people?"
B: "Only when kindness fails."
The unexpected meaning of the noun "club" is what makes it funny. B understands "club" as a
physical tool used for weapon or punishment rather than as a place where young people gather
based on their common interests.
Apart from this, irony and misdirection – two essential components of British comedy are used
in the joke. The comedy may not be understood by someone from a culture where irony or
sarcasm are less prevalent.
References:
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2. Block, J., Browning, L., & McGrath, J. E. (1976). Humor in organizations. Journal of Applied
Communication Research, 4(
3. Gruner, C. R. (1978). The game of humor: A comprehensive theory of why we laugh.
Transaction Publishers.
4. Morrison, M. K. (2012). Using humor to maximize living: Connecting with humor (2nd ed.).
Rowman & Littlefield.
5. Snyder, B, M. (2011). Daffy Definitions for Seniors: With a Laugh and Prayer. New London,
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