METAPHORS OF TIME: ENGLISH VS. UZBEK AND RUSSIAn

Аннотация

This article examines the conceptual metaphors of time in English, Uzbek, and Russian, focusing on their cognitive, cultural, and linguistic aspects. Time, as an abstract category, is often understood and expressed through metaphorical mappings derived from concrete human experiences. By comparing these three languages, we identify both universal metaphorical patterns and culturally specific expressions. Keywords: metaphors of time, conceptual metaphor, English, Uzbek, Russian, cultural linguistics. Metaphor is for most people a device of the poetic imagination and the rhetorical flourish—a matter of extraordinary rather than ordinary language. Moreover, metaphor is typically viewed as characteristic of language alone, a matter of words rather than thought or action. For this reason, most people think they can get along perfectly well without metaphor. We have found, on the contrary, that metaphor is pervasive in everyday life, not just in language but in thought and action. Our ordinary conceptual system, in terms of which we both think and act, is fundamentally metaphorical in nature. The idea about usage of metaphors put forward by Lakoff G. and Johnson M. inspired many linguists to dive into the investigation of metaphor again and with conscious mind. Since, they were indeed right when they claimed the aforementioned statement. More and more scholars and scientists had a stereotypical opinion that only limited group of people are able to handle with this kind of stylistic device. The concepts that govern our thought are not just matters of the intellect. They also govern our everyday functioning, down to the most mundane details. Our concepts structure what we perceive, how we get around in the world, and how we relate to other people. Our conceptual system thus plays a central role in defining our everyday realities. If we are right in suggesting that our conceptual system is largely metaphorical, then the way we think, what we experience, and what we do every day is very much a matter of metaphor. Moreover, they not only suggest that everyone can use them, but they actually use it subconsciously. Lakoff and Johnson were pioneers to inform that metaphors are not the result of literary sources, but fruit of mind. Till them many would argue that this cannot be right. Metaphor is usually investigated by literature scientists as a linguistic expression. We do not want to oppose of 133 ACADEMIC RESEARCH IN MODERN SCIENCE International scientific-online conference course, we simply going to say that this was only one aspect of investigating it. The core thing is how we create metaphors, what urges us to produce, what aspects affect us when we form certain metaphors. These questions were blank. Time is one of the most abstract yet universally experienced concepts in human cognition. Because of its abstract nature, languages often rely on metaphors to conceptualize and express time. These metaphors are not arbitrary; they reflect cultural values, cognitive patterns, and historical traditions of the speakers. The comparison of time metaphors in English, Uzbek, and Russian reveals both universal tendencies and culture-specific nuances. According to the Conceptual Metaphor Theory (Lakoff & Johnson, 1980), humans understand abstract concepts like time by mapping them onto more concrete domains, such as movement, space, or money. Time metaphors are deeply embedded in our everyday speech and can influence how speakers of different languages perceive temporal reality. In English, time is often conceptualized as money or a valuable resource:  Time is money.  Spend time, save time, waste time. Another common conceptualization is time as motion along a path:  The future lies ahead; the past is behind.  We are approaching the deadline. This linear view of time is characteristic of Western cultures, where time is seen as irreversible, measurable, and tightly connected to productivity. Uzbek, influenced by Turkic linguistic heritage and Central Asian cultural traditions, also uses spatial metaphors for time but with some differences in perspective. Common expressions include:  Kelajak oldinda (“The future is ahead”).  O‘tgan kunlar (“The days that have passed”). However, unlike English, Uzbek time metaphors often have cyclical or seasonal associations, reflecting the agricultural roots of the culture:  Yoz keladi (“Summer comes”) – seasonal cycles are a natural way to measure time.  Proverbs such as Vaqt — oltin (“Time is gold”) echo the value-of- time metaphor but coexist with a more patient, less productivity-driven view of life. Russian shares many metaphorical patterns with both English and Uzbek but also have its unique traits. Like English, Russian conceptualizes time as a linear path: 134 ACADEMIC RESEARCH IN MODERN SCIENCE International scientific-online conference  Время идет (“Time goes”).  Срок приближается (“The term is approaching”). Yet, Russian culture often treats time as an active force that impa