CONCEPTUAL METAPHOR IN THE PHRASEOLOGICAL MODELING OF THE CONCEPT «EDUCATION»: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ENGLISH AND UZBEK

The article examines the role of conceptual metaphor in the phraseological modeling of the concept EDUCATION in English and Uzbek. On the basis of the cognitive theory of metaphor by G. Lakoff and M. Johnson, 118 phraseological units and paremias (62 English and 56 Uzbek) were analyzed with respect to the underlying metaphorical mappings. Five dominant conceptual metaphors were identified: EDUCATION IS LIGHT, KNOWLEDGE IS TREASURE, LEARNING IS A JOURNEY, KNOWLEDGE IS FOOD, and IGNORANCE IS DARKNESS. It is shown that the metaphors EDUCATION IS LIGHT and KNOWLEDGE IS TREASURE are universal for both linguistic cultures and realize the positive axiological core of the concept, while the elaboration of the metaphors differs: the English material develops the commercial-instrumental submetaphors (knowledge as capital, investment and commodity), the Uzbek material develops the natural-spiritual ones (knowledge as light, spring and fruit). The results refine the axiological model of the concept EDUCATION and confirm the thesis of the culture-specific elaboration of universal metaphors.