Linguo-Cognitive Analysis of Idiomatic Compounds: Evidence from English and Uzbek

Abstract

Idiomatic compounds constitute a complex lexical category in which semantic opacity, conceptual motivation, and cultural knowledge intersect. Unlike transparent compounds, idiomatic compounds encode meanings that cannot be fully derived from their constituent elements and therefore require cognitive interpretation and cultural competence. This article investigates idiomatic compounds in English and Uzbek from a linguo-cognitive perspective, focusing on semantic motivation, conceptual metaphors, and cross-linguistic similarities and differences. Drawing on comparative and cognitive linguistic frameworks, the study analyses partial and full idiomatic compounds as manifestations of conceptual structuring in language. The findings demonstrate that idiomatic compounds reflect culturally embedded models of perception and categorisation, while at the same time revealing universal cognitive mechanisms underlying metaphorical mapping and lexicalisation. The research contributes to the theoretical understanding of idiomaticity in compounding and highlights the relevance of cognitive linguistics for contrastive lexicology.