Cultural Semantics of Evaluation: A Linguocultural Study of Good/Bad and Yaxshi/Yomon in English and Uzbek

Abstract

While culture is considered the most essential indicator and distinctive
feature of both the individual and society, then language, as the primary tool of
communication in human life and social interaction, occupies a crucial and irreplaceable
place. In other words, language and culture are inseparable; they represent two
interdependent parts reflecting one another. But what is culture, essentially? "Culture is an
intangible force that organizes the world and incorporates it into a system of human
values."1 Since culture organizes the world, it inevitably structures language as well—
playing a role in its formation and manifesting itself through it.
The lifestyle and consciousness of any society, as well as the language it employs,
are intimately connected to its culture. Indeed, the culture of a people is directly reflected
in their language and vocabulary. For example, the Uzbek word ―маҳалла‖ does not have
an exact equivalent in English. Although it is often translated as ―neighbourhood,‖ the
English term fails to fully convey the socio-cultural meaning embedded in ―маҳалла‖
within Uzbek culture. This is primarily due to the absence of the маҳалла institution and
the related social concept in English society.