THE LINGUOCULTURAL NATURE OF LACUNAE IN ENGLISH AND UZBEK LEGAL DISCOURSE

The article examines the linguocultural nature of lacunae in English and Uzbek legal discourse. Legal discourse reflects not only the linguistic system of a nation but also its historical, cultural, and socio-political realities. In intercultural legal communication and translation, numerous lexical, semantic, and conceptual gaps arise because certain legal concepts that exist in one legal culture may be absent in another. These gaps are commonly referred to as lacunae. The study analyzes the classification, causes, and functions of lacunae in English and Uzbek legal terminology and discourse. Comparative, descriptive, and discourse-analytic methods are employed to identify linguistic and cultural lacunae in legislative acts, judicial documents, and legal communication. The findings demonstrate that lacunae arise due to differences in legal systems, traditions, religious influences, historical development, and sociocultural values. The article also discusses translation strategies used to overcome lacunae, including descriptive translation, borrowing, calque, and contextual adaptation. The research contributes to linguoculturology, legal linguistics, and translation studies by revealing the interdependence between language, culture, and law in English and Uzbek legal discourse.