LINGUOCOGNITIVE AND LINGUOPRAGMATIC ASPECTS OF ANTITHESIS IN THE PROVERBS AND SAYINGS OF TURKIC PEOPLES

Abstract

The proverbs and sayings of Turkic peoples have preserved
a concise and vivid portrayal of national identity and worldview from ancient
times to the present. The use of antithesis in these expressions juxtaposes
opposing concepts, enabling the succinct and impactful conveyance of profound philosophical ideas and moral principles. The objective of this study is to
comprehensively elucidate the cognitive and pragmatic foundations of antithesis
in the proverbs and sayings of Turkic languages. As research material, over 200
proverbs in Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Turkish, and Azerbaijani were analyzed.
The theoretical framework included Conceptual Metaphor and Cognitive
Frame Theory (G. Lakoff), the Cultural Scenarios approach and Speech Act
Theory (H. P. Grice). Methodologically, comparative-typological, semantic,
syntactic, and pragmatic analyses were applied. This allowed for the systematic
classification of antithesis into four structural types: lexical, syntactic,
semantic, and pragmatic. Findings indicate that antithesis appears in more than
60 % of the studied proverbs, functioning not only to contrast conventional
pairs of concepts but also to intensify emotional impact and reinforce ethical
norms. Antithetic constructions guide the listener’s cognitive process into a
binary modal state, serving as tools for educational and regulatory influence.
The scientific novelty of this research lies in the first comprehensive analysis
of the linguistic-cognitive and pragmatic mechanisms of antithesis in Turkic
paremiology. Practically, the results can inform language teaching curricula,
folkloristic studies, intercultural communication courses, and the development
and analysis of digital corpora of paremiological data. Future research should
expand the database to investigate the diachronic evolution of antithesis and its
role in sociocultural contexts.