American Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Development ISSN Online: 2771-8948 Website: www.ajird.journalspark.org Volume 26, March - 2024 64 | P a g e COGNITIVE SIGNS OF THE CONCEPT OF INSULT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE Tukhtasinova Zilola Mukumovna Teacher, Kokand State Pedagogical Institute Abstract The article discusses the cognitive signs of the concept of insult depicted in the English proverbs and quotations. The purpose of the research is to identify and analyze the linguistic units that make up the paremiological field of the concept insult in the English language. The article uses the method of conceptual analysis, proposed by I. A. Sternin. Keywords: concept, quote, proverbs, expressions, communication, injury. Introduction The concept as a mental notion can be represented by linguistic units belonging to different layers of the language. The national consciousness of the people, their generally accepted multifaceted worldview is reflected in examples of wise sayings created by them. After all, the experience of the people over the years is passed down from generation to generation. In linguistics, the study of such units cannot be avoided even in the study of a specific linguistic phenomenon. For this reason, in researching the concept of “insult”, wise expressions have a great role in determining its cognitive signs and its place in the communication between people in a society. Methods The main research method of the investigation in clarifying the concept is conceptual analysis, which consists of studying the meanings expressed by phrases, linguistic constructions, and entire statements. The conceptual analysis of the linguistic units done in this article is based on the method suggested by Russian scholar I. A. Sternin. He calls this procedure as “cognitive interpretation” and states that, “the analysis of linguistic means allows the most simple and an effective way to identify signs and model of concepts” [2,16] Results and discussion It is impossible to determine the verbalization of the concept of insult in English without studying its paremiological field. In addition, the parameters about the studied concept reflect the cognitive character of the concept. This gives information about the structure of the concept and its image in the mind of the people. In the text of the works created by famous state and public figures and writers of English-speaking nations, there is also an opinion about insult. American Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Development ISSN Online: 2771-8948 Website: www.ajird.journalspark.org Volume 26, March - 2024 65 | P a g e Foul words is but foul wind, and foul wind is but foul breath, and foul breath is noisome; therefore I will depart unkissed. [5] The quote is taken from the speech of Beatrice, the heroine of the famous English writer William Shakespeare’s “Much ado about nothing”, has become a popular saying. The word insult, which represents the main content of the text, is metaphorically compared to a wind with an unpleasant smell. Here, the emotional side of the insult is determined by the sense of smell, which is one of the human senses. So, when a bad word is used in a person’s mind, it is imagined as a stream of air that emits a smell. The similarity between bad breath and abuse is that both concepts are harmful to humanity. The cognitive sign of the proverb is that insults are as harmful as bad breath. An injury is much sooner forgotten than an insult. [5] The letters written by the eminent British statesman Lord Philip Chesterfield to his son are famous and were later published in book. The book became famous, because of the wisdom depicted in it. Injury to the body and insult is compared in this quote. If the wound is repaired with medicine and ointment, the body will return to its original condition and the wound will be forgotten. However, insults are more likely to be remembered. When the injury is forgotten, the insult is stored in the brain. Abuse leaves a mental wound that takes a long time to heal, it is not immediately forgiven. This wise saying calls people to refrain from insults and not to hurt someone’s heart. An English proverb with the same content was also determined. Words cut more than swords. [5] This proverb means that verbal injury leaves a deeper mark than physical injury. Words are a linguistic tool used for communication. When they are used improperly they become “bad words”; “cut” is a metaphor used to describe the power of the word; “more” means comparison, means that the cutting power of the word is higher than that of the sword; “sword” is a weapon used in battle. The general pragmatic meaning of the proverb is that the emotional damage caused by hurtful words is more profound than physical violence. Based on the content of the phrase and proverb, another cognitive sign of insult in English was identified: insult heals more slowly than physical injury. The comparison of insult with physical injury is also found in the poems of Uzbek writers Alisher Navoi and Abdulla Avloni. Therefore, in both languages, the injury of insult is given after the injury of the body. In the poem “London” written by the poet, lexicographer, literary critic Samuel Johnson, you can learn about the social status of insult. Of all the griefs that harrass the distressed, Sure the most bitter is a scornful jest; Fate never wounds more deep the gen’rous heart, Than when a blockhead’s insult points the dart.[4, 230] The first two lines of this poem about the power of insults emphasize that it is painful for people to see hypocrites and fools to mock and insult people who are suffering. In the rest of the lines, it is said that if the insults of fools target the noble hearts, they will inflict deep wounds on them. The contrast between the soul and the stupidity of the insulter increases the effect of the insult. The phrase “insult points the dart” in the last line implies that an American Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Development ISSN Online: 2771-8948 Website: www.ajird.journalspark.org Volume 26, March - 2024 66 | P a g e insult hurts as deeply as a sharp arrow. It is the bitterest insult when fools injure good- hearted people with mockery and sarcasm. Two cognitive signs are revealed through these verses: 1. The bitterest insult is irony 2. A fool’s insult to a noble person hurts the heart deeply. The following lines from the English poet Thomas Gray’s Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard identify another cognitive sign of insult. Yet ev’n these bones from insult to protect Some frail memorial still erected nigh.[5] The phrase “Yet ev’n these bones from stroke to protect” in the quoted first line of the poem expresses its main content and means that people should be protected from insult even after death. The lines express the transience of life and the importance of preserving people’s memory. Everyone is considered to have his/her own dignity. Cognitive cue identified: Don't insult the dead. Re-examine all that you have been told… dismiss that which insults your soul. [5] This wise phrase taken from the speech of the famous American poet and journalist Walt Whitman encourages a person to think critically and perceive. According to its structure, it consists of two imperative sentences. The first part “re-examine all that you have been told” calls to re-examine all that you have been told. The second part “dismiss that which insults your soul” encourages you to reject that which insults your soul. “All that you have been told” means any thoughts and ideas that are perceived as an insult by the human soul, while “insults your soul” means that the insult has not a surface concept, but it damages the person’s existence and values. Cognitive sign: insult must be removed from the heart. The following quote by the American historian and art critic Russell Lines is about responding to an insult: The most effective comeback to an insult is silence. [5] Usually, a person receiving an insult may respond with such an insult in return or take revenge on the person who said it: a person's reaction to an insult is expressed by the word “comeback”. The author uses the phrase “the most effective” to mean that “silence” is the most effective answer. The abuser does not get the expected response. In this way, the person who has been insulted can preserve his dignity, convey to the insulter his inner strength and calmness without words. A cognitive cue - the most effective response to an insult is silence. To add insult to injury.[1,177] Semantically, this proverb describes making an already awkward situation worse by saying or doing something offensive or disrespectful in English. The lexeme “insult” in the proverb is used metaphorically, figuratively speaking, to express any offensive action or word. The lexeme “Injury” means an existing unfavorable situation. Conclusion The analysis of the language units involving insults and their synonyms in the English language reflects the attitudes towards insults in the national culture. The symptoms of an insult are that it is as harmful as a foul wind, that it leaves deeper emotional injury than a physical one, and the bitterest insult is when a fool mocks a noble man. Even the dead should American Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Development ISSN Online: 2771-8948 Website: www.ajird.journalspark.org Volume 26, March - 2024 67 | P a g e not be insulted. In case of insult, it should be removed from the heart. The most effective response to an insult is silence. REFERENCES: 1. Karomatov K. M., Karomatova H. S. Proverbs-Maqollar-Пословицы. – Toshkent: Mehnat, 2000. – 400 b. – B.177. 2. Попова З. Д., Стернин И. А. Когнитивная лингвистика. – Москва: АСТ: Восток- Запад, 2007. – 314 с. 3. Chambers Dictionary of Quotations. – Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd., 2005. – 1283 p. – P.194// https://zlibrary-sng.se/book/1208029/35664f 4. Oxford dictionary of quotations. – London: Geoffrey Cumberlege / Oxford University Press,1953. – 1003 p. – P. 230.// https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.133533/mode/2up 5. https://www.azquotes.com/quotes/topics/insult.html https://zlibrary-sng.se/book/1208029/35664f https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.133533/mode/2up https://www.azquotes.com/quotes/topics/insult.html