SILENCE IN JAPANESE AND UZBEK COMMUNICATION: A CONTRASTIVE PRAGMATIC ANALYSIS

This article examines the similarities, differences and methodological limits of comparing Japanese and Uzbek silence. The contribution is an operational framework that separates observable non-production of speech from interpretations of intention and social effect. Implications for discourse annotation, intercultural research, and the ethical interpretation of participant behavior are discussed. The proposed distinctions are analytical hypotheses requiring validation in naturally occurring corpora.