Publication Details
Abstract
The good/evil divide embodies one of the most basic ethical oppositions in human thought and speech and is reflected in their contrasting roles as moral judges (or influencers of social behavior) in the humane world (of cultures). These moral concepts do not refer simply to semantic opposites in English and Karakalpak linguistic worldviews; they represent moral constructs that are inextricably linked to the larger systems of values that define spiritual outlooks on life for each nation. That said, although this binary is universal, there are few comparative linguistic studies assessing the semantic and cultural manifestation of these concepts in unrelated languages. The purpose of this study is to carry out a linguocultural and comparative study of ethical terms good (jaqsılıq) and evil (jamanlıq) in English and Karakalpak languages on the basis of dictionary definitions, folklore, proverbs and literary texts. According to the results, in English, good is linked to morality, honesty, and compassionate, while evil connotes malice, hostility, and sin, frequently in a religious setting. Conversely, in Karakalpak, jaqsılıq means virtue, modesty, and honour while jamanlıq implies treason and immorality but with a much stronger social dimension and binding to honour. The study shows that verbal representation of ethical values corresponds with particular cultural identity English ethics are more abstract and theological, while Karakalpak ethics are more practical and community-bound. It advances our understanding of moral cognition in linguocultural contexts and offers insights into both comparative ethics and cognitive linguistics by demonstrating How universal moral categories acquire linguistically- and culturally-specific meanings.