This article analyzes the pragmalinguistic features of the speech act of "silence" in Uzbek and English literary texts. Silence is considered not merely as the absence of speech but as a communicative phenomenon endowed with specific meanings and contextual relevance. The study explores the sociocultural and psychological factors influencing silence in communication, its role in expressing interpersonal relationships, and its pragmatic implications. A comparative approach is used to examine how silence conveys messages, emotions, and illocutionary intentions in literary discourse.

Silence, speech act, pragmalinguistics

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