International Journal Of Literature And Languages
79
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijll
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue07 2025
PAGE NO.
79-81
10.37547/ijll/Volume05Issue07-21
Discourse Types and Similes in
Alisher Navoi’s “
Hayrat
Ul-Abror
”:
A Linguocultural Analysis
PhD students., Department of Uzbek Language, Fergana State University, Fergana, 150100, Uzbekistan
PhD students., Department of Uzbek Language, Fergana State University, Fergana, 150100, Uzbekistan
Received:
31 May 2025;
Accepted:
27 June 2025;
Published:
29 July 2025
Abstract:
This article examines the argumentative and descriptive discourse types, as well as similes, in Alisher
Navoi’s “Hayrat ul
-
Abror” and their linguocultural characteristics. The study draws on contemporary linguistic
fields, such as cognitive linguistics and linguoculturology, employing qualitative analysis of the epic’s t
exts.
Findings indicate that discourse types bridge Sufi ideas and Uzbek culture, while similes enrich poetic imagery.
The discussion evaluates the significance of these elements in literary and linguistic contexts. The research
contributes to Uzbek literary studies and linguistics.
Keywords:
Alisher Navoi, Hayrat ul-Abror, discourse types, argumentative discourse, descriptive discourse,
similes, linguoculturology, Sufi literature, Uzbek linguistics.
Introduction:
The paradigm of modern linguistics
extensively explores the interplay between language
and human factors through integrative fields like
cognitive
linguistics,
linguoculturology,
pragmalinguistics,
and
psycholinguistics.
These
domains emphasize language’s role not only as a
communicative tool but also as a system reflecting
cultural, social, and philosophical contexts. Theoretical
traditions from ancient philosophers like Aristotle and
Wilhelm von Humboldt, alongside modern scholars
such as E. Sapir, B. Whorf, and N.D. Arutyunova,
highlight the connection between language and
thought (Hakimov, 2011). In Uzbek linguistics, fields like
pragmalinguistics and sociolinguistics are advancing,
focusing on text impact, speech acts, and sender-
receiver dynamics.
Alisher Navoi’s “Hayrat ul
-
Abror,” the first part of the
“Khamsa,” is a piv
otal Sufi and didactic work in Uzbek
literature, offering rich material for such investigations.
It addresses Sufi stages, tariqat principles, and divine
love. The research problem centers on identifying the
linguocultural
features
of
discourse
types
(argumentative and descriptive) and similes, evaluating
their role in the Uzbek cultural context. The objective is
to analyze these elements qualitatively and contribute
theoretically to Uzbek linguistics. The hypothesis posits
that discourse types and similes are key tools for
expressing Sufi ideas and cultural symbols.
Global linguistic research on discourse types and their
cultural features has been developed by Western
scholars. The classification of discourse into argument,
description, exposition, and narration is widely
discussed (Attardo, 2000a). In Uzbek linguistics,
Hakimov
(2011)
explored
pragmatic
text
interpretation, analyzing speech acts and their impact
in literary contexts. Jumayeva (2021) conducted
semantic and linguocultural studies of phraseological
units, providing a foundation for analyzing cultural
components in discourse.
Studies on Navoi’s works include Sharipova (2021), who
examined the poetics of “Hayrat ul
-
Abror,”
emphasizing Sufi motifs and poetic devices. Mavlonov
(2024) analyzed the structural-semantic aspects of
terms, particularly the poetic function of economic
terms. International sources include Attardo (2000a,
2000b) on irony and pragmatic theories, and Barnden
International Journal Of Literature And Languages
80
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijll
International Journal Of Literature And Languages (ISSN: 2771-2834)
(2010, 2015) on metaphors and similes from a cognitive
perspective. This review highlights gaps in applying
modern methods to Uzbek literary discourse and
similes, which this study aims to address.
METHODOLOGY
The study adopts a qualitative approach, analyzing the
texts of “Hayrat ul
-
Abror.” The following methods were
applied:
1.
Textual Analysis: Identifying and examining the
structure of discourse types and similes in the epic’s
couplets.
2.
Linguocultural Analysis: Evaluating symbols
(colors, objects) and terms in discourses and similes
within their cultural context.
3.
C
omparative Analysis: Comparing Navoi’s
styles with predecessors (Nizami Ganjavi, Khusraw
Dehlavi, Abdurahman Jami).
4.
Pragmatic Analysis: Investigating speech acts
and influence mechanisms.
Primary sources include the epic’s text and scholarly
literature. The analysis followed a logical sequence:
identification, classification, and interpretation.
RESULTS
The epic reveals two primary discourse types:
argumentative
and
descriptive.Argumentative
Discourse: This type persuades readers through logical
evidence. Example:
Chun bu nasim esti azal tog‘idin,
Muncha gul ochildi jahon bog‘idin.
Qaysi nasim ulki erur gulfishon,
Bargi gul-u nastaran andin nishon.
Bu ikki yafrog‘ni qachon zufunun
Bir-
biriga qo‘ysa bo‘lur “kof
-
u nun”.
Here, lexemes like “azal” and “kun” substantiate divine
creation (Sharipova, 2021).
Descriptive
Discourse:
This
evokes
sensory
experiences. Example:
Forsi o‘ldi chu alarga ado,
Turki ila qilsam ani ibtido.
The poet describes innovation in Turkish within the
“Khamsa” (Qayumov, 2021).
Linguocultural Features of Similes
Similes enhance Sufi ideas and cultural symbols:
1.
Example: “Nasim esti azal tog‘idin” –
likening
the breeze to flower blooming symbolizes eternal
power, reflecting Uzbek cultural ties between nature
and divinity (Begizova, 2021).
2.
Example: “Adan mulkida bor edi tojire, /
Tijoratda tujjor aro mohire” –
comparing a merchant to
expertise integrates economic terms into a Sufi
context, linking material and spiritual wealth
(Mavlonov, 2024).
3.
Example: “Ishq iztirobi dardi” –
likening love’s
anguish to a burden emphasizes endurance in the Sufi
path, rooted in Uzbek folklore’s symbols of divine
affection (Sharipova, 2021).
Economic terms (tojir, tijorat) serve as poetic devices,
creating alliteration and harmony (Mavlonov, 2024).
DISCUSSION
The empirical findings from this analysis underscore the
multifaceted roles of argumentative and descriptive
discourses in Alisher Navoi’s “Hayrat ul
-
Abror,” alig
ning
with pragmatic and linguocultural frameworks
established in contemporary linguistics. Argumentative
discourse, as evidenced in the selected couplets,
functions as a rhetorical mechanism for logical
substantiation of Sufi ontological truths, such as the
eternality of divine creation, thereby facilitating reader
persuasion through deductive reasoning and evidential
support (cf. Hakimov, 2011). This aligns with Attardo’s
(2000a) conceptualization of discourse as a goal-
oriented process, where irony and pragmatic
markers
—
though not central here
—
parallel the
persuasive intent in Navoi’s mantiqiy dalillar (logical
arguments). Descriptive discourse, conversely, serves
to evoke vivid sensory and cultural representations,
depicting innovations like the Turkic linguistic revival
within the “Khamsa” tradition, which not only
enhances aesthetic immersion but also reinforces
cultural identity formation (Jumayeva, 2021).
Similes in the epic further emdiv linguocultural
depth,
reflecting
Uzbek
symbolic
systems
encompassing colors (e.g., associative connotations of
renewal in natural imagery) and objects (e.g., economic
artifacts as metaphors for spiritual commerce), thereby
extending Begizova’s (2021) emphasis on chromatic
and material expressiveness in cognitive-linguistic
paradigms. This integration of similes with discourse
types supports Barnden’s (2015) cognitive theory of
simile as an exaggeration of likeness, where
metaphorical extensions bridge literal and abstract
realms, enriching the tasavvufiy (Sufi) narrative with
layered
interpretations.
Comparatively,
Navoi’s
infusion of an indigenous Uzbek spirit
—
manifest in his
adaptation of Persianate forms to Turkic vernacular
—
distinguishes his work from predecessors like Nizami
Ganjavi and Abdurahman Jami, corroborating
Qayumov’s (2021) assertion that “Hayrat ul
-
Abror”
represents a paradigm shift toward culturally
autonomous epic poetry, while preserving intertextual
continuity with tasavvufiy sources such as Abdullah
International Journal Of Literature And Languages
81
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijll
International Journal Of Literature And Languages (ISSN: 2771-2834)
Ansari’s “Manazil al
-
Sa’irin.”
Methodological l
imitations are noteworthy: the study’s
confinement to a single epic precludes broader
generalizations across Navoi’s oeuvre, potentially
overlooking diachronic evolutions in discourse patterns
(Sharipova, 2021). Future investigations could mitigate
this by adopting longitudinal designs, incorporating
corpus-
based analyses of the entire “Khamsa” to
quantify discourse frequencies and simile distributions.
Moreover, while the analysis draws on international
cognitive models (Barnden, 2010; 2015), their
application remains exploratory; integrating advanced
tools like semantic network analysis (Van Atteveldt,
2008) could facilitate quantitative validation of
linguocultural linkages, bridging Eastern classical
traditions with Western computational linguistics. This
interdisciplinary expansion would not only address
existing gaps but also foster a more robust theoretical
synthesis,
potentially
revealing
cross-cultural
universals in metaphorical cognition.
CONCLUSION
In summation, Alisher Navoi’s “Hayrat ul
-
Abror”
exemplifies discourse types and similes as pivotal
conduits interfacing Sufi philosophical tenets with
Uzbek cultural epistemologies, thereby illuminating the
epic’s enduring relevance in linguocultural scholarship.
This investigation elucidates the linguistic mechanisms
underpinning these elements
—
argumentative
discourse for epistemological grounding, descriptive
discourse for experiential vividness, and similes for
symbolic amplification
—
thus enriching Uzbek literary
analysis with integrated pragmatic and cognitive
perspectives (Attardo, 2000b; Barnden, 2015). By
foregrounding Navoi’s innovative synthesis of
tasavvufiy motifs with indigenous linguistic vitality, the
study contributes to a nuanced understanding of how
classical texts negotiate cultural hybridity, extending
theoretical frameworks from Hakimov (2011) and
Mavlonov (2024) to broader discourses on postcolonial
literary identity.
Prospective research avenues are manifold: employing
large-scale corpus linguistics to map discourse
evolution across Central Asian epics, or leveraging
cognitive models (e.g., conceptual metaphor theory
per Barnden, 2010) for experimental validations of
simile comprehension among bilingual readers. Such
endeavors could yield predictive insights into language-
cognition
interfaces,
ultimately
advancing
interdisciplinary dialogues between Uzbek tilshunosligi
(linguistics) and global cognitive science. This study,
therefore, not only reaffirms Navoi’s canonical stature
but also posits “Hayrat ul
-
Abror” as a fertile ground f
or
theoretical innovation in linguocultural studies.
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