LINGUACULTURAL AND COGNITIVE-METAPHORICAL FEATURES OF THE CONCEPT "TOMIR/DAMAR" IN TURKISH AND UZBEK LANGUAGES

This thesis presents a comparative analysis of the semantic structure and cognitive-metaphorical characteristics of the somatic units tomir/damar ("vein/vessel") in Turkish and Uzbek. The theoretical framework relies on Conceptual Metaphor Theory, particularly the premise that metaphor is intrinsically grounded in human physical experience and embodied cognition. The study investigates how the tomir/damar component conceptualizes psychological traits, inherent inclinations, underlying causes/foundations of phenomena, natural-geological structures, and vital social systems. Comparative findings reveal that alongside conceptual commonalities rooted in shared somatic experience, a distinct linguacultural asymmetry exists in the semantic evolution of the damar/tomir image across both languages.