This article examines the lexical-semantic field of shame in English and Uzbek from the perspectives of cognitive linguistics and cultural linguistics. The study treats shame not merely as a linguistic unit, but as a culturally embedded moral-emotional concept reflecting systems of value, social norms, and patterns of interpersonal evaluation. The research draws on componential analysis, contextual analysis, conceptual interpretation, and linguoculturological analysis to identify the semantic structure, phraseological realizations, metaphorical models, and pragmatic functions of shame-related lexemes in the two languages.

The findings indicate that English and Uzbek share a common conceptual core in representing shame as a negatively marked social emotion associated with moral transgression, social disapproval, and loss of esteem. At the same time, the two languages differ in the internal organization and cultural salience of the lexical-semantic field. In Uzbek, the field is more closely associated with collective values, family reputation, modesty, honor, and socially regulated conduct. In English, the field displays broader lexical differentiation across related emotional and ethical states such as shame, embarrassment, humiliation, and guilt, often foregrounding the individual’s inner emotional and moral experience.

The study also demonstrates that shame is metaphorically represented in both languages through bodily, spatial, and evaluative imagery, although the cultural distribution and functional significance of these metaphors differ. These distinctions suggest that emotional concepts are shaped by both universal cognitive mechanisms and culture-specific patterns of meaning construction. The results contribute to comparative lexical semantics, intercultural communication, translation studies, and research in cognitive linguistics.

Lexical-semantic field, shame, cognitive linguistics

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