Multidisciplinary Journal of Science and Technology

CONTEXTUAL SEMANTIC SHIFTS IN ENGLISH LOANWORDS IN UZBEK

Hamzayev Akmal

Jizzakh State Pedagogical University, Uzbekistan

Keywords: loanwords, semantic shift, English, Uzbek, pragmatics, language contact, globalization

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Abstract

            This study explores the phenomenon of contextual semantic shifts in English loanwords that have been integrated into the Uzbek language. With the increasing influence of globalization, mass media, technology, and intercultural communication, English has become a dominant source of lexical borrowings in Uzbek. While many loanwords retain their core meanings, they often undergo semantic modifications depending on the context in which they are used. The paper examines different types of semantic changes—broadening, narrowing, amelioration, pejoration, and complete semantic shift—through examples drawn from contemporary Uzbek media, everyday speech, and online communication. The research employs a descriptive-analytical methodology, focusing on how meanings evolve in real contexts of use. Findings indicate that loanwords such as market, trend, file, chat, driver, like, and online often acquire culturally specific nuances in Uzbek, sometimes diverging significantly from their original English meanings. The study argues that contextual semantic shifts not only demonstrate the dynamism of language contact but also reveal socio-cultural patterns of adaptation. These results contribute to the fields of contact linguistics, pragmatics, and sociolinguistics, while offering implications for lexicography, translation studies, and English language teaching in Uzbekistan.

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