THE LEXICAL AND CONTEXTUAL REPRESENTATION OF FEAR IN 20TH-CENTURY UZBEK PROSE

Abstract

This article examines the lexical-semantic and contextual representation of fear in 20th-century Uzbek prose, with particular attention to the linguistic means through which fear as a psychological and socio-cultural phenomenon is constructed in literary discourse. The study considers fear not only as an emotional state or literary motif but also as a semantic and contextual phenomenon manifested through lexical units, emotional expressions, descriptions of psychological states, and context-dependent meanings. Particular attention is paid to the semantic differentiation of lexical items associated with fear, anxiety, apprehension, panic, and psychological tension, as well as to their functions in representing the characters’ inner experiences. The analysis demonstrates that fear in Uzbek prose may be expressed both directly through emotion-related vocabulary and indirectly through contextual descriptions of physical reactions, inner speech, silence, hesitation, and psychological conflict. The contextual interpretation of fear also reveals its connection with personal experience, social pressure, historical memory, moral responsibility, and existential concerns. Thus, the linguistic representation of fear contributes not only to the psychological characterization of literary protagonists but also to the development of narrative tension and the interpretation of broader social and philosophical meanings in Uzbek prose.