THE ANTHROPOCENTRIC PARADIGM IN THE FITONYMIC SYSTEM: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF UZBEK, TURKISH, AND RUSSIAN LANGUAGES

Аннотация

This article examines the anthropocentric paradigm in the fitonymic systems of the Uzbek, Turkish, and Russian languages from a comparative linguistic perspective. The research explores how plant names (phytonyms) function not merely as lexical units denoting flora but as linguistic representations of human cognition, cultural values, national mentality, and social experience. Employing comparative, descriptive, semantic, cognitive, and linguocultural methods, the study analyzes lexical meanings, metaphorical extensions, phraseological expressions, and symbolic functions of selected phytonyms in the three languages. The findings demonstrate that while universal conceptual associations such as growth, fertility, strength, and life are common across the languages, each linguistic community develops unique anthropocentric interpretations based on historical, ecological, religious, and cultural traditions. Uzbek and Turkish, sharing common Turkic roots, display considerable lexical and conceptual similarity, whereas Russian reflects distinct Slavic cultural symbolism. The study contributes to anthropocentric linguistics, cognitive semantics, comparative linguistics, and linguocultural studies by revealing how phytonyms encode human-centered conceptualizations of the world.