Functional-Semantic Classification of Euphemisms in the Nominative Field of "Death" in the Uzbek Language Through the Prism of Russian and English Cultures

The subject of this research comprises euphemistic codes that replace the negative connotation of "death" in contemporary Russian, Uzbek, and English languages. These codes were selected using targeted sampling from the "Dictionary of Russian Euphemisms" by E. P. Senichkina (2008), "Short Euphemistic Dictionary of the Uzbek Language" by A. Zh. Omonturdiev (2006), and "Oxford Dictionary of Euphemisms (How Not to Say What You Mean: A Dictionary of Euphemisms)" by R. W. Holder (2008). The total number of examples amounted to over 1,104 units, with 349 pertaining to Russian, 405 to Uzbek, and 350 to English. This volume of data enabled a detailed analysis and the formulation of reliable conclusions. The aim of the study is to present a functional-semantic classification of euphemisms that replace the negative connotation of the term «death» in the Uzbek language, through the prism of comparison with Russian and English cultures. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact that, for the first time, Russian, Uzbek, and English euphemistic codes within the nominative field of «death» are identified, systematized, and described through comparative and semantic analysis in the context of the linguoculturological paradigm. The results obtained indicate that the cognitive approach in studying functional-semantic classification is an important tool for identifying the essential characteristics of euphemistic codes based on universal and unique (culturally conditioned) concepts. Simultaneously, the linguoculturological method provides an interpretation of the cultural motives for using euphemistic units when investigating the nominative field of «death». Through cognitive and linguoculturological analysis, the study reveals the mechanisms of encoding denotations in Russian, Uzbek, and English euphemistic expressions that form the functional-semantic classification of the nominative field «death».