THE FUNCTION OF STYLISTICALLY MARKED WORDS IN LITERARY DISCOURSE: EVIDENCE FROM ENGLISH AND UZBEK TEXTS

Аннотация

This article provides an in-depth comparative analysis of stylistically marked vocabulary in English and Uzbek literary discourse. The study explores the classification, linguistic features, and artistic functions of neutral, colloquial and literary layers of vocabulary in both languages. By examining examples from classical and modern prose and poetry - including works by English authors such as William Shakespeare, Charles Dickinson and Uzbek authors such as Abdulla Qahhor and Abdulla Oripov – the article demonstrates how stylistically marked words serve as powerful tools for building imagery, expressing emotional differences and strengthening cultural identity. Key words: stylistics, stylistically marked words, colloquial layer, neutral layer, literary layer, poetic vocabulary, comparative linguistics. Like any linguistic issue the classification of the vocabulary is for purely stylistic purposes. This is important for the course in as much as some SDs are based on the interplay of different stylistic aspects of words [1, 65]. The stylistic system of English vocabulary includes multiple layers, each serving a particular artistic function. These include the literary, colloquial and neutral layers. Both the literary and colloquial layers consist of multiple subgroups, each characterized by a feature common to all the subgroups within that layer. This shared feature, which serves to connect the groups of words belonging to the same layer, may be termed its aspect. The aspect of the neutral layer is its universal character. That means it is unrestricted in its use. It can be employed in all styles of language and in all spheres of human activity. It is this that makes the layer the most stable of all [1, 66]. Unlike other groups, the neutral group of words cannot be considered as having a special stylistic coloring, whereas both literary and colloquial words have a definite stylistic coloring. The literary layer has a noticeably bookish character, and this feature helps maintain its stability. The colloquial layer, by contrast, is marked by its spoken style, which causes it to be more temporary and quicker to change. Common literary words are mostly used in written language and in well-crafted speech. It is usually easy to distinguish a literary word from a colloquial one. This difference exists because the literary layer has certain objective characteristics. What these characteristics are is hard to define, since no precise criteria have been established yet. However, one clear feature is that literary words contrast with colloquial ones. This contrast becomes especially noticeable when literary–colloquial synonym pairs can be created, showing their opposing nature. The literary vocabulary consists of the following groups of words: 1. Common literary; 2. Terms and learned words; 3. Poetic words; 4. Archaic words; 5. Barbarisms and foreign words; 6. Literary coinages. Poetic words in English often comes from old-fashioned words, biblical language, and terms of Germanic origin. 261 ResearchBib IF - 11.01, ISSN: 3030-3753, Volume 2 Issue 12 Examples are thy, thou, maiden, crimson, and celestial. Writers like William Shakespeare and John Milton often used this elevated language to create noble images and deeper emotion. For instance, Shakespeare’s phrase “the mighty heavens” suggests great power, and using thou or thy adds a sense of seriousness and closeness. For example: foe (enemy), the welkin (the sky), steed (horse), vale (valley), scant (scanty), vastly (vast) etc. in English; yor, tarannum etmoq, yov, hassos, mumtoz, maftunkor, koshona etc. in Uzbek. Archaic words are essential in historical fiction and poetry. They provide authenticity, temporal depth, and a sense of antiquity. In works such as “Beowulf” or medieval English ballads, archaic terms like (hark, ere, hath, quoth) create a specific historical atmosphere. For example: thou (you), thine (yours), slay (kill), garniture (furniture) etc. in English; gardun (osmon), dovot (siyohton), rayon (tuman), oblast (viloyat) etc. in Uzbek. Barbarisms and Foreignisms. In the vocabulary of the English language there is a considerable layer of words called barbarisms. These are words of foreign origin which have not entirely been assimilated into the English language. The role foreign borrowings played in the development of the English literary language is well known, and the great majority of these borrowed words now form part of the rank and file of the English vocabulary. It is the science of linguistics, in particular its branch etymology, that reveals the foreign nature of this or that word. But most of what were formerly foreign borrowings are now, from a purely stylistic position, not regarded as foreign. But still there are some words which retain their foreign appearance to a greater or lesser degree. For example: chic, kolkhoz, solo, au revoir!, braten, en passant, schinken, a priori etc. in English; okey, bratan, karoche, babay etc. in Uzbek [1, 80