SEMANTIC SHIFTS AND CULTURAL LOSS IN THE TRANSLATION OF LINGUOCULTURAL REALIA: AN ENGLISH–UZBEK PERSPECTIVE

This paper explores semantic shifts and cultural loss in the translation of linguocultural realia between English and Uzbek. As culture-bound lexical units, realia often lack direct equivalents, making their translation challenging. The research aims to identify types of semantic transformations and evaluate how cultural meaning is preserved or lost. A qualitative comparative approach is used to analyze selected literary examples and their translations. The findings show that while strategies such as adaptation, calque, and descriptive translation may preserve meaning partially, they often lead to shifts in connotation, pragmatic function, and cultural specificity. Cultural loss frequently results from generalization or omission. The study argues that such shifts are inevitable but can be minimized through context-sensitive translation.