Furniture names in English and Uzbek phraseological units

Abstract

Phraseological units, commonly known as idioms, represent a fascinating aspect of linguistic expression, encapsulating cultural, historical, and social nuances within fixed word combinations. This study explores phraseological units incorporating furniture names in English and Uzbek languages, highlighting their semantic structures, cultural connotations, and comparative features. In English, idioms such as "sweep something under the rug" (to hide a problem) [1] and "armchair critic" (someone who offers opinions without active involvement) [2] often draw from everyday household items to convey metaphorical meanings related to secrecy, criticism, or familiarity. In Uzbek, similar units like "stol ustida" (literally "on the table," meaning openly or transparently, akin to English "on the table") [3] and "karavotdan tushmaslik" (not getting out of bed, implying prolonged illness or laziness) [4] reflect practical and cultural attitudes toward domestic life. The analysis reveals that while English phraseological units tend to emphasize psychological or social dynamics, Uzbek ones often tie into communal values and everyday pragmatism. Through a comparative lens, this work demonstrates how furniture-related idioms serve as mirrors of societal norms, with English examples showing greater abstraction and Uzbek ones retaining closer ties to literal interpretations. The study draws on linguistic corpora, dictionaries, and cultural texts to underscore the importance of these units in cross-linguistic understanding, contributing to fields like translation studies and cultural linguistics. Overall, it argues for the preservation and study of such expressions in an era of globalization, where linguistic diversity risks erosion.