International Journal Of Literature And Languages
29
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijll
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue07 2025
PAGE NO.
29-31
10.37547/ijll/Volume05Issue07-09
Conceptualization Of The Concept “Labour”In The
Scientific And Professional Pictures Of The World
Feruza Mamatova Makhammadovna
PhD in philological sciences, associate professor, English Linguistics Department, Independent researcher at Namangan State Institute of
Foreign Languages, National University of Uzbekistan after Mirzo Ulugbek, Tashkent, 100017, Uzbekistan
Received:
15 May 2025;
Accepted:
11 June 2025;
Published:
13 July 2025
Abstract:
The concept of «labour» in the English linguistic picture of the world embodies a multifaceted notion
deeply embedded in cultural, social, and economic contexts. This study explores how the English language
conceptualizes «labour» beyond its mere denotation of physical or mental work, reflecting broader ideologies and
attitudes towards work, productivity, and human effort. Through an analysis of semantic fields, metaphorical
expressions the research reveals how “labour” is framed as both a necessary human a
ctivity and a social value
that intersects with identity, class, and economic structures. The English linguistic system encodes labour not only
as an action but also as a social institution, encompassing concepts such as labour rights, exploitation, and labour
markets. The conceptualization is dynamic, influenced by historical developments like industrialization and
contemporary shifts such as the gig economy. By examining lexical choices and pragmatic usages, the study
highlights how the English language constructs a worldview where labour is central to individual purpose and
societal progress. This conceptual framework affects perceptions of labour’s dignity, burden, and reward, shaping
communicative practices and social policies. Ultimately, understanding the linguistic conceptualization of labour
in English offers insights into how language reflects and shapes human experience and social reality.
Keywords:
Labour, conceptualization, Linguistic picture of the world, semantic fields, Metaphor.
Introduction:
In the past decade, researchers have
shown increasing interest in studying concepts and
categories. These fundamental concepts play a crucial
role in understanding and perceiving the national
linguistic landscape. Among such important concepts is
the anthropophenomenon of “labour,”
which
possesses linguocultural characteristics and relates to
human activity. The anthropophenomenon of labor is
viewed as the vital essence of both individuals and
society. Labor is considered a means of ensuring the
existence of people and all of humanity, as well as a
method for developing civilization.
In modeling the linguocognitive anthropophenomenon
of “Labour” within the scientific worldview, it is
necessary to analyze the lexical definitions of labor in
English scientific specialized and encyclopedic
dictionaries. As O.A. Kornilov [1, 11] emphasized, the
scientific picture of the world is verbalized and
recorded in the terminology of specialized sciences and
encompasses knowledge from all branches of science
about the world. Lexical definitions are
“constructed
for specialists in a specific field of scientific knowledge
and reveal significant aspects of the concept.” [2, 62].
The scientific picture of the world appears in
philosophical,
sociological,
historical,
cultural,
sociological, and other similar forms. These
manifestations are based on the «principle of
acknowledging within their scope the existence of
significant differences in the structural-semantic
organization and functional-pragmatic orientation of
linguocognitive categories” [3, 467]. T
he category of
“labour” in English, as in many other languages, is
considered one of the fundamental concepts. The
linguistic picture of the concept “labour” carries a
complex semantic meaning. It is directly linked to
human life activity and is interpreted as both a
cognitive phenomenon and a cultural phenomenon.
The anthropophenomenon of “labour” is an important
linguocultural concept, its relevance further confirmed
by its semantic density. Studying this concept helps to
reconstruct society's worldview, reveal the value
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International Journal Of Literature And Languages (ISSN: 2771-2834)
orientations of culture, and shape their hierarchy.
Numerous works by scholars such as L.L.Bankova,
I.Yu.Vostrikova, and S.V.Koltakova are dedicated to the
study of the concept of labour. Structurally, the
concept of labour possesses a field-like character. The
informational (semantic) component of the concept
largely depends on its lexical expressions within phrasal
structures.
METHODOLOGY
Structurally, the concept of labor possesses a field-like
nature. The informational (semantic) aspect of the
concept largely depends on its lexical expressions
within phrases. In English, the main expressions of the
concept (direct naming) are represented by numerous
words: job, work, labour, as well as the lexemes toil,
deed, business, career and members of these word
families (A job of work; Carve out a career for oneself
“to build a career”; a labour of love “selfless or
uncompensated work”).
In the traditional worldview of English speakers, two
distinct notions of labor are clearly differentiated -
labor as activity and labor as service. The first primarily
encompasses physical labor within the traditional
subsistence economy, especially crafts and maritime
work. A conceptually important feature is that this
work is physical and demands great effort and
diligence.
In the second case (labor as a service), labor activity is
perceived as a social phenomenon and is associated
with various positions in the service hierarchy and
different wage systems. It is within the framework of
the labor concept that the idea of the possibility to
engage or not engage in paid labor activity, based on
the social relations between the employer and the
employee, is reflected.
According to V.A.Maslova, the structure of the “labor”
anthropophenomenon includes: the core (cognitive-
propositional structure of the key concept), the near-
core area (other lexical expressions of the key concept,
its synonyms, etc.), and the periphery (associative-
figurative expressions) [4, 29]. Within the framework of
this dissertation, in the process of studying the
linguocognitive anthropophenomenon «labor» in the
English scientific worldview, the meanings of the
lexeme «labor» were analyzed in 11 English scientific
dictionaries. These dictionaries comprise sociological,
philosophical, psychological, and historical dictionaries.
In lexical definitions, the following meanings of the
category «Labour» and their associated concepts are
distinguished based on their denotative differences:
In explanatory dictionaries: a) expenditure of physical
or mental effort, especially when difficult or
compulsory; b) services performed by workers for
wages, as distinguished from those rendered by
entrepreneurs for profits; c) human activity that
provides goods or services in an economy; d) physical
activities (such as dilation of the cervix and contraction
of the uterus) involved in giving birth; e) workers
considered as a group; f) practical work, especially work
involving physical effort [5].
Sociological
dictionaries:
work;
force;
paid
employment; any work or effort directed toward the
attainment of a specific goal; practical work, especially
when it involves hard physical effort; very hard work,
usually physical work; turnover; labor union; division of
labor; manual workers; labor dispute; labor relations;
all the people who work for a company or in a country;
Philosophical dictionaries: in relation to nature; man
purposefully acts on the objects of nature and changes
them. His attitude to nature is one aspect of L. By
changing external nature, man also changes his own
nature. The adaptation of objects to man's
requirements (q.v.) implies, above all, the change of
external nature. L. consists of the following elements:
(1) man's purposeful activity, or L. proper; (2) the object
of L.; (3) means of L. L. aimed at the transformation of
nature comes to fruition when all its elements are
created by L. and are not given in a ready-made form
[6, 215].
Historical dictionaries: Exertion of muscular strength,
or bodily exertion which causes weariness; particularly,
the exertion of the limbs in occupations by which
subsistence is obtained, as in agriculture and
manufactures, in distinction from exertions of strength
in play or amusements, which are termed exercise,
rather than labor. Toilsome work; pains; travail; any
bodily exertion which is attended with fatigue. After
the labors of the day, the farmer retires, and rest is
sweet. Moderate labor contributes to health. 1) Work;
esp. hard work; also services; to work; (2) physical
exertion, manual work, toil; work or exercise tending to
strain the back; (3) agricultural labor, horticultural
work; (4) mental work; (5) the fruits of labor, product;
a book [7].
Medical dictionaries: the last stage of pregnancy when
the muscles of the uterus start to push the baby out of
the div, usually lasting until the baby appears; stages
of labor [8].
Economic dictionaries: the efforts exerted to produce
any goods or services; the labor and skill of one man is
frequently used in a partnership, and valued as equal to
the capital of another; when business has been done
for another, and suit is brought to recover a just
reward, there is generally contained in the declaration,
a count for work and labor; where penitentiaries exist,
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International Journal Of Literature And Languages (ISSN: 2771-2834)
persons who have committed crimes are condemned
to be imprisoned therein at labor [9].
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The analysis revealed that the conceptualization of
«labour» differs significantly across scientific and
professional discourses. In scientific contexts,
particularly within economics, sociology, and cognitive
linguistics, «labour» is often viewed as an abstract,
systematized category. It is conceptualized through
terms like «labour force», «human capital « and
«labour productivity,» reflecting a focus on
macroeconomic
structures
and
theoretical
frameworks. Definitions emphasize labour as a
measurable input in production, tied closely to
efficiency and social organization. In contrast, the
professional picture of the world
—
shaped by practical,
field-specific language
—frames “labour» through
experiential and task-oriented lenses. For instance, in
medicine, «labour» may refer to the process of
childbirth, while in construction or engineering, it is
associated with manual or skilled physical activity.
Terminology reflects direct engagement with tasks,
often including collocations such as «labour-intensive»
«manual labour,» or «skilled labour.» These findings
suggest that while scientific discourse abstracts and
generalizes the concept of labour, professional
discourse contextualizes it, embedding meaning within
specific roles and practices. The conceptual boundaries
shift depending on the communicative needs and
epistemological goals of each domain. This divergence
highlights the importance of context in shaping how
fundamental human activities like labour are
understood and communicated.
CONCLUSISON
The conceptualization of «labour» within scientific and
professional pictures of the world reveals the
complexity and contextual dependency of meaning-
making processes. In scientific discourse, «labour» is
treated as an abstract and systemic phenomenon,
closely tied to theories of economics, social structures,
and cognitive categorization. It is examined through
quantifiable indicators, such as labour markets,
productivity, and workforce dynamics, which serve to
generalize and structure the concept for analytical and
theoretical purposes. Conversely, in professional
discourse, the concept of «labour» is grounded in
practice and specific occupational realities. Here, it is
experienced and described through immediate, task-
related activities, with an emphasis on the physical,
procedural, or technical dimensions of work. The
diversity of professional contexts
—
ranging from
medicine and education to industry and law
—
leads to
a nuanced and varied interpretation of labour, often
shaped by the goals, tools, and values of each field.
REFERENCES
Kornilov, O.A. (2003). Language pictures of the world as
derivatives of national mentalities (p. 11).
Latu, M.N. (2017). Some features of the definition and
interpretation of the term. Proceedings of the Russian
Academy of Sciences. Series of Literature and
Language, 76(1), 62.
Dzyuba, E.V. (2016). Linguocognitive categorization of
reality in Russian linguistic consciousness (Doctoral
dissertation, Ural State Pedagogical University,
Yekaterinburg) (p. 467).
Maslova, V.A. (2004). Introduction to cognitive
linguistics: A textbook (296 pp.). Moscow: Flinta;
Nauka.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/la
bour
Philosophical dictionary (6th ed., revised and enlarged)
(1991, p. 215). Moscow: Politizdat. (Edited by I. T.
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https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/labor
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/middle-English-
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