METAPHORICAL AND SYMBOLIC REPRESENTATIONS OF THE CONCEPT OF AGE

The article examines the metaphorical and symbolic representations of the concept of age within the framework of contemporary linguistic research. The study is grounded in the principles of cognitive linguistics, linguoculturology, and the anthropocentric paradigm, which regard age as a fundamental category of human cognition and cultural experience. Special attention is paid to the ways in which metaphorical and symbolic expressions of age reflect national worldviews, cultural values, and social attitudes across linguistic communities.