COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS EXPRESSING INTELLECTUAL ABILITY (BASED ON ENGLISH AND UZBEK LITERARY PROSE)

Abstract

This article offers a comparative examination of phraseological units denoting intellectual capability in English and Uzbek literary prose. Phraseological units, as stable and culturally significant expressions, significantly reflect speakers attitudes towards intelligence, wisdom, and cognitive capacity. The study investigates the representation of intellectual attributes, including cleverness, wisdom, quick thinking, and lack of intelligence, through fixed expressions in both languages. The article examines selected examples from English and Uzbek literary works to identify semantic similarities and differences, structural characteristics, and cultural connotations of these phraseological units. Metaphorical images, symbolic meanings, and the national mentality expressed in idiomatic expressions are given special attention. The results indicate that although both languages encompass universal concepts pertaining to intellectual capacity, their linguistic expression is significantly shaped by cultural traditions, historical context, and literary conventions. This study enhances contrastive linguistics and phraseology by elucidating the encoding of intellectual traits in English and Uzbek literary discourse