THE ROLE OF HISTORICAL LEXICON IN THE FORMATION OF NATIONAL IDENTITY (ANALYSIS BASED ON THE UZBEK LANGUAGE)

LEADING IDEAS FOR SUSTAINABILITY IF(Impact Factor)12.87 ISSN-L 5547-7437 E-ISSN 5547-7437 INDIAN POPULAR SCIENTIFIC ONLINE JOURNAL INDEXED ON TOP BASES http://lifsindijourn.my-style.in/ Volume: 17 Issue: 17 October-2025 1 THE ROLE OF HISTORICAL LEXICON IN THE FORMATION OF NATIONAL IDENTITY (ANALYSIS BASED ON THE UZBEK LANGUAGE) Termez State Pedagogical Institute PhD Muminova Umida Karshiyevna Abstract. This article discusses the formation of the historical lexicon in the Uzbek language, its role in the life of society and culture, and its importance in understanding national identity. Historical lexicon embodies the historical memory, values, and traditions of the people and occupies a special place in the development of national thought. The article analyzes the origin of historical words, semantic changes, the preservation of archaisms, and their influence on the modern language system. Keywords: historical lexicon, national identity, ancient words, archaisms, linguistic culture, national values, historical layer. Historical lexicon is one of the most important sources for understanding the identity of a nation. Each nation transmits its history, culture, and social life from generation to generation through language. From this perspective, historical lexicon is of great importance not only as a linguistic phenomenon, but also as a cultural memory that determines the identity of the people. The Uzbek language also has a rich lexical layer with a thousand-year history, and the ancient words in it reflect the LEADING IDEAS FOR SUSTAINABILITY IF(Impact Factor)12.87 ISSN-L 5547-7437 E-ISSN 5547-7437 INDIAN POPULAR SCIENTIFIC ONLINE JOURNAL INDEXED ON TOP BASES http://lifsindijourn.my-style.in/ Volume: 17 Issue: 17 October-2025 2 historical development and worldview of the nation. The historical lexicon of the Uzbek language was formed in several stages. Words such as “yurt”, “el”, “beg”, “qavm”, “ota”, “ona”, inherited from the ancient Turkic language era, continue to actively live in the national thought to this day. These words have not only not lost their meaning, but have become symbols expressing the national values and traditions of the Uzbek people. In subsequent stages, religious, scientific and cultural terms that entered through the Arabic and Persian languages enriched the historical layer of the Uzbek language. For example, words such as “ilm”, “hikmat”, “adab”, “maktab”, “kitob” became an important tool in shaping the attitude of the Uzbek people to science and spirituality. To show the importance of historical lexicon in the formation of national identity, first of all, attention should be paid to its connection with the historical memory of the people. Each word reflects the social events, political system, and cultural life of a particular historical period. For example, words such as “khan”, “bek”, “sarkarda”, and “amir” remind us of the history of Uzbek statehood. These terms were not only used in a particular historical period, but also served to form the concepts of state structure, leadership, and governance in the minds of the people. Also, historical words associated with folk traditions play a special role in strengthening national identity. The names of ancient holidays such as “Navruz”, “Mehrjon” have been preserved in the cultural memory of the people and have not lost their relevance today. These holidays are not only part of social life, but also preserved in the richness of the language as a symbol of national unity and cultural heritage. Historical lexicon changes over time. Some LEADING IDEAS FOR SUSTAINABILITY IF(Impact Factor)12.87 ISSN-L 5547-7437 E-ISSN 5547-7437 INDIAN POPULAR SCIENTIFIC ONLINE JOURNAL INDEXED ON TOP BASES http://lifsindijourn.my-style.in/ Volume: 17 Issue: 17 October-2025 3 words fall out of active use and become archaisms, but they remain in folklore, fiction, and historical documents. For example, words such as “savdogar”, “chorbog’”, “sahibqiron” are not often used in modern speech today, but their spiritual value exists in the popular mind. Archaisms are important in the formation of national identity, because through them one can learn about the historical past of the people, the ancient way of life. In addition, part of the historical lexicon is actively living in the modern Uzbek language. Words such as “yurt”, “ona”, “khalq”, “kitob” have retained their semantic essence for centuries and have taken a firm place in the popular mind. These units constitute a rich cultural layer of the Uzbek language as a symbol of national values. Therefore, the historical lexicon is the constantly renewing spiritual foundation of the nation. From the point of view of linguistic culture, the historical lexicon is one of the most important factors in expressing the cultural memory of the people. Historical words found in Uzbek folk oral literature - epics, legends and proverbs - are a direct tool in the formation of national identity. Ancient words used in epics such as "Alpomish", "Goroglu" serve to instill in today's generation feelings of national pride, patriotism, and patriotism. As a vivid manifestation of the harmony of language and culture, the historical lexicon connects the people with their past. Historical lexicon is reflected not only in historical sources, but also in the everyday life of the people. Some ancient words have been preserved in the dialectal layer, which reflect the way of life and cultural differences of the Uzbek people in different regions. In this sense, the study of historical lexicon has not only linguistic, but also ethnographic and cultural LEADING IDEAS FOR SUSTAINABILITY IF(Impact Factor)12.87 ISSN-L 5547-7437 E-ISSN 5547-7437 INDIAN POPULAR SCIENTIFIC ONLINE JOURNAL INDEXED ON TOP BASES http://lifsindijourn.my-style.in/ Volume: 17 Issue: 17 October-2025 4 significance. The role of language, and in particular historical lexicon, in the process of forming national identity is incomparable. If a people does not forget its history, its identity will be preserved. The richness of the language, especially the historical layer, serves as a tool for the people to understand their past, preserve their cultural memory, and convey their national values to future generations. Therefore, studying historical lexicon, introducing it into scientific circulation, and instilling it in the minds of the younger generation is of great importance in further strengthening national identity. Historical lexicon is of incomparable importance in forming the national identity of the Uzbek people not only from a linguistic point of view, but also from a social, cultural, and spiritual perspective. Because each historical word embodies the past life, worldview, beliefs, and values of the people. By looking at the historical layer of the language, we gain a deeper understanding of the uniqueness of the Uzbek people and the spiritual wealth inherited from their ancestors. The formation of national identity is a continuous process. In this process, the people should not forget their history, value their cultural heritage and pass it on to future generations. Historical lexicon is one of the main tools that fulfills this task. Because ancient words, archaic units, historical terms evoke a sense of national pride and honor in the people's memory. For example, words such as "yurt", "el", "ona diyor" have become an expression of the national spirit, while units such as "bek", "khan", "sarkarda" testify to the history of Uzbek statehood. At the same time, the names of historical holidays such as "Navruz", "Mehrjon" reflect the ancient traditions and cultural continuity of the people. Historical lexicon is not only LEADING IDEAS FOR SUSTAINABILITY IF(Impact Factor)12.87 ISSN-L 5547-7437 E-ISSN 5547-7437 INDIAN POPULAR SCIENTIFIC ONLINE JOURNAL INDEXED ON TOP BASES http://lifsindijourn.my-style.in/ Volume: 17 Issue: 17 October-2025 5 associated with past events, but has not lost its relevance even today. Ancient words continue to live in the modern Uzbek language, acquiring new meaning. Some words are passed down from generation to generation through folklore, epics, proverbs and legends. This process shows how strong the place of historical lexicon is in folk culture. Thus, historical lexicon is the foundation that ensures the stability of national memory and self-awareness. In today's globalization environment, the issue of preserving national identity is becoming even more urgent. In an era when some national values are disappearing as a result of the increased flow of information and the expansion of the influence of other languages, increasing the importance of historical lexicon requires great responsibility. Therefore, it is important to study historical lexicon, conduct in-depth research on it in the fields of linguistics and cultural studies, and introduce it more widely into educational processes. In particular, teaching the younger generation the meaning of ancient words and teaching them to value them as cultural heritage is one of the main conditions for strengthening national identity. In conclusion, the historical lexicon of the Uzbek language is an invaluable treasure that preserves the national memory, historical development and cultural identity of the people. It is the main source for the nation not to forget its history, to live with an awareness of its identity and to look to the future with confidence. The historical lexicon will always remain relevant as one of the most important tools that nationalize the nation, distinguish it from other nations, and determine its cultural identity. Therefore, it is necessary to appreciate and develop the historical lexicon LEADING IDEAS FOR SUSTAINABILITY IF(Impact Factor)12.87 ISSN-L 5547-7437 E-ISSN 5547-7437 INDIAN POPULAR SCIENTIFIC ONLINE JOURNAL INDEXED ON TOP BASES http://lifsindijourn.my-style.in/ Volume: 17 Issue: 17 October-2025 6 not only as a linguistic heritage, but also as a national and spiritual wealth today. The historical lexicon of the Uzbek language is one of the main factors shaping the cultural heritage, spiritual wealth and national identity of the people. It is of incomparable importance in preserving the historical memory of the nation, continuing traditions and values, and serving cultural development. References: 1. Qodirov, M. (2010). O‘zbek tili tarixiy leksikologiyasi. Toshkent: Fan nashriyoti. 2. Mahmudov, N. (2021). Til va milliy o‘zlik. Toshkent: O‘zbekiston nashriyoti. 3. Yo‘ldoshev, A. (2015). Til va madaniyat uyg‘unligi. Toshkent: O‘zbekiston milliy ensiklopediyasi. 4. Rahmatullayev, Sh. (2000). O‘zbek tilining izohli lug‘ati. Toshkent: O‘zbekiston milliy ensiklopediyasi. 5. Sodiqov, Q. (2018). O‘zbek tilida arxaizmlar va ularning semantik xususiyatlari. Toshkent: Fan va texnologiya. 6. Abdurahmonov, A. (2008). Turkiy tillar tarixiy leksikasi. 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