Religious Lexicon in the Uzbek Language: Approaches, Characteristics, and Lexicographic Challenges

This study examines the Islamic religious lexicon (religionyms) in contemporary Uzbek from a linguistic, sociocultural, and lexicographic perspective. Drawing on scientists’ analysis of religious vocabulary in Uzbek dictionaries, as well as recent scholarship on the origin, structure, and use of religious terms in Uzbek, we analyze the etymological sources, semantic dynamics, productivity, synonymy, homonymy, stylistic constraints, and the need for specialized lexicographic resources. The findings suggest that (1) religious lexicon in Uzbek is deeply rooted in cultural and national identity; (2) it is predominantly borrowed from Arabic, with significant contributions from Persian-Tajik; (3) it has limited internal morphological productivity; (4) semantic narrowing and broadening processes shape its evolution; (5) synonymy is rare and primarily a result of cross-language borrowing; (6) homonymy is largely external; and (7) the current lexicographic coverage is insufficient, underscoring the need for a comprehensive explanatory dictionary. Our study contributes to teolinguistics, sociolinguistics, and lexicography, and suggests practical implications for dictionary compilers, translators, and educators.