LEXICAL-SEMANTICAL AND MENTAL FEATURES OF ENGLISH AND UZBEK PROVERBS WITH THE COMPONENTS "ZOONYMS"

This article investigates the lexical-semantic and mental (cognitive-cultural) features of English and Uzbek proverbs containing zoonymic components. Zoonyms—lexical units denoting animals—play a significant role in paremiology by reflecting collective experience, national mentality, ethical values, and worldview. The study is based on comparative analysis of well-documented English and Uzbek proverbs selected from authoritative paremiological dictionaries and linguistic studies. The research identifies semantic fields, metaphorical models, and culturally marked cognitive associations embedded in animal imagery. The findings demonstrate that while many zoonyms express universal human qualities such as wisdom, cunning, laziness, and bravery, their evaluative meanings differ according to cultural and mental frameworks of English and Uzbek societies.