544-548 Linguocultural Aspects of the English Translations of National Words in Baburnama


 

544			AMERICAN	Journal	of	Language,	Literacy	and	Learning	in	STEM	Education								www.	grnjournal.us		
 

AMERICAN	Journal	of	Language,	Literacy	and		
Learning	in	STEM	Education	

Volume	01,	Issue	09,	2023	ISSN	(E):	2993-2769	
 

  
Linguocultural Aspects of the English Translations of National 

Words in "Baburnama"  
 

 
Ibragimova Raykhona Abdimajitovna 

English teacher of NamIET 
 
Abstract 
In this article, linguocultural science, which is considered one of the leading directions of 
linguistics, its object, the opinions of scientists, the expression of national characteristic words-
realities in the work "Baburnama" in English translations, and the linguocultural significance of 
it are expressed with the help of examples. 
Keywords: linguoculturology, anthropocentric paradigm, national words, cultural property, 
brocade, satin, intercultural communication.  

 
Since the world's creation, cultures, peoples, and societies strongly need to interact and connect, 
so humanity has always sought to know and learn universal values of both material and spiritual 
nature. As a result of this aspiration, linguoculturology (Lat. lingua - language + Lat. culture - 
processing + Greek. logos - teaching), which is considered one of the leading directions of 
anthropocentric linguistics, was created in the cooperation of the fields of linguistics, cultural 
studies, ethnography, psycholinguistics is a field that studies the interaction and influence of 
culture, ethnicity, and national mentality based on the principles of the anthropocentric 
paradigm, studies the linguistic aspect of the interdependence of language and culture, and 
explores the unique aspects of culture, folk thinking, and its perception of the world sets the 
primary goal of learning how aspects are reflected in language. 
The object of linguistic culture is language and culture, and its subject is language units that 
express cultural semantics. These cultural information-carrying language units are called 
linguistic-cultural units. They are manifested in the form of national-specific units (non-
equivalent lexicon, phraseological fund of the language, linguistic tools, etc.) or units that retain 
a cultural component to some extent. According to Telia: “Lingvoculturology is a science that 
studies human, more precisely, personality and cultural factors in an integrated manner, and 
these factors are of great importance in the creation of this science and the implementation of 
research in this regard1” 
"Linguoculturology is focused on the human factor, more precisely, on the cultural factor in a 
person. The fact that the center of linguoculturology consists of the phenomenon of culture 
indicates that the science of man is a phenomenon belonging to the anthropological paradigm,2" 
says G.G. Slishkin, and these ideas complement each other. 

 
1 Телия В.Н. Русская фразеология: семантический, прагматический и лингвокультурологический аспекты. – 
М.: Школа «Языки русской культуры», 1996. – С.87. 
2 Слышкин Г.Г. От текста к символу. Лингвокультурные концепты прецеденных текстов в сознании дискурса. 
– М.: Academia, 2000.-128 c 
 



 

545			AMERICAN	Journal	of	Language,	Literacy	and	Learning	in	STEM	Education								www.	grnjournal.us		
 

Since our primary goal is to show the linguistic and cultural features of the translations of 
national traditions and realias, we focus on finding solutions to the problems of translations of 
national traditions and realias in the translations of the "Baburnama" text. As a mediator in 
international communication, a translator should maintain a balance between two linguistic 
cultures. He should be able to distinguish the national-specific element from the universal 
element in the text, understand and feel it, and translate it, considering the linguistic and 
extralinguistic information specific to another culture. 
The text "Baburnama" comprises such linguistic and cultural properties. Therefore, in order to 
translate it, it is essential for the translator not only to know the ancient Turkish and Uzbek 
languages but also to be able to understand the way of life of the Uzbek people deeply, their 
national customs, and the particular words that express this nationality. A deep background 
knowledge is required to understand and translate these lexical items correctly. Their lack of 
understanding and misinterpretation lead to communication misunderstandings and cultural 
errors. Let us analyze the specific words in the text of "Baburnama" from a linguistic and 
cultural point of view: Kichik xonning kishilаri tamom moʻgʻulcha yasanib edilаr: moʻgʻulcha 
boʻrklаr, xitoyi atlas va sonchma tikkan toʻnlаr .... bila keldi...3 The concept of clothing 
representing realias is closely related to the national-cultural characteristics of the people, and 
they are part of the lexicon that vividly demonstrates the national color. In the Uzbek linguistic 
and cultural environment, many words in this lexicon are considered non-equivalent to English 
and can only be translated with a special explanation. In this passage, the realisms related to 
clothing, such as bork, Chinese satin, and a turban, are presented. As the translator H. Hamroyev 
noted, "realias are an integral part of the language of the work, with the help of which the author 
creates the image of a hero, the national character of the people describes the feature”4. They 
express the national color of the artistic work, perform various methodological tasks, and help to 
describe the nature of events and objects accurately. We analyze how the realias representing this 
national characteristic are expressed in translations: 
Leyden-Erskine: All the younger Khan’s men had dressed themselves out after the Moghul 
fashion. They had Moghul caps, frocks of Khita satin, embroidered with flowers after the same 
fashion, quivers and saddles of green shagreen... 5(Leyden-Erskin I.1826; 170) The reader who 
has read the translation will understand the level of the translator's skills as soon as he reads the 
text. Choosing a suitable equivalent when giving phrases and historical national words is 
important. The translator tried to reflect every detail of the realias of clothes described by the 
author in the translation. The translator tries to reflect the realia in the translated text, but we 
cannot say that it is pragmatically appropriate. The word given in the translation cannot reveal 
the whole meaning of the realia of "Mongolian bork". The Mongolian frock in the piece is 
represented by the lexical unit frock, which was used in the Middle Ages as the name for a coat-
like garment for both men and women, defined in the English Merriam-Webster dictionary as 
follows :1. An outer garment worn by monks and friars; 2. an outer garment worn mainly by me; 
3. a woman's dress6. As we can see, the second meaning of this word, equivalent to the realism 
of the coat, is translated using a similar variant in the translation language, which means an outer 
garment worn mainly by men, but the uniqueness of the original it is we believe that the national 
character of the language tools in the composition is not fully revealed from a linguistic and 
cultural point of view. 
In her doctoral dissertation, translation scholar D. Khoshimova emphasized the need to approach 
the meaning and content they express, the traditions of this nation from a linguistic-cultural point 

 
3 Заҳириддин Муҳаммад Бобур. «Бобурнома». – Тошкент: Шарқ НМАК, 2002. – Б.90 
4 Ҳамроев Ҳ. Миллий хос сўзлар-реалиялар ва бадиий таржима // Таржима маданияти (Мақолалар тўплами). 
– Тошкент, 1982. – Б.158. 
5 King L, Leyden J. & Erskine W. Memoirs of Zehir-ed-Din Muhammed Baber, Emperor of Hindustan. – Londоn, 
1826. Annetated and revised ed. by L.King, 2 Vols., – Milford, 1921. – P.170. 
6 https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frock#dictionary-entry-1 



 

546			AMERICAN	Journal	of	Language,	Literacy	and	Learning	in	STEM	Education								www.	grnjournal.us		
 

of view, and the expediency of translating the words that express the national identity of each 
nation through the method of transliteration7.  
Recently, the issue of restoring the national character in translation has attracted the attention of 
both translators and translation scholars more and more. Because most of the translation defects 
correspond to the share of language tools that reflect the national character, after all, most of the 
mistakes and shortcomings still being made in translation practice are related to the restoration of 
the national character in the translation. This issue has not yet been satisfactorily resolved, both 
theoretically and practically. 
In Beveridge's translation, All his men had adorned themselves in Mughul fashion. There they 
were in Mughul caps (burk); long coats of Chinese satin, broidered with stitchery in a unique 
fashion8 was recreated in the translated language, Mongolian burks in the original text, Chinese 
satin and sonchma-tikkan to'nlar, in the English translation texts: Mughul caps (burk), long coats 
of Chinese satin, embroidered with stitching is translated as A. Beveridge tries to give a similar 
equivalent in the translated language for the reader's understanding, and also gives the 
transliteration form in parentheses. However, as we mentioned above, the translator, as a 
mediator in intercultural communication, should be able to maintain a balance between two 
linguistic cultures by giving an equivalent in the translation language that is similar and fulfills 
the task in the translation of national words, i.e., realias, to distinguish the universal element 
from the culturally specific element in the text should be able to understand, translate taking into 
account the linguistic and extralinguistic information specific to the foreign culture. After all, 
translation is not only transferring words from one language to another but also being able to 
reflect the culture of one country in another national language9. 
Like all other manifestations of linguistic and cultural studies, we know that national traditions 
and realias must be reflected in the translation by the original. The translation will only be 
evaluated based on the correct translation of some of the derived words. The main success of the 
translation is the complete re-creation of national achievements and realias, the ability to convey 
the meaning and idea of the original author's style through translation. 
In Thackston's translation: All Kichik Khan’s men were outfitted in the Mongolian manner-
Mongolian hats, embroidered Chinese brocade tunics, green leather Mongolian bowcases and 
saddles..10 In Thackston 's translation, the realia of "bork" in this passage is different from 
Leyden-Erskine and Beveridge, and the lexical unit "ton" is represented by the word "tunic." It 
could not show the nationality described by the author in terms of linguocultural. (See Figure 
3.6) In the Britannica Dictionary, it is expressed as a hat, a covering for the head that often has a 
brim and a rounded or flat top, and we believe that the artistic-aesthetic value of originality, their 
national identity, and historical period still need to be preserved. We all know that these two 
headdresses have very different aspects. 
Also, the realia of satin is expressed by the lexical unit of brocade, which is different from the 
two translators above and is defined in the Cambridge English Dictionary as a heavy, decorative 
cloth with a raised design, often of gold or silver threads. One nation's customs, culture, and 
nationality may not be repeated or reflected in the customs and nationality of another nation. The 
way of life of the people of the East is very different from that of the European people. We know 
the meaning and content of these particular words and the difference between atlas and kimhob. 
When giving an alternative to this specific word in the translated language, the translator 
searched a lot and chose this option. However, this word cannot be an alternative to the realia of 

 
7 Хошимова Д. «Бобурнома» матнидаги тасвирий воситаларнинг инглиз тилига таржималари тадқиқи. 
Филол. фан. док. ... дисс. – Тошкент, 2018. – Б.228 
8 Beveridge A.S. The Bābur-nāma in English (Memoirs of Babur), Translated from the original Turki Text of 
Zahiru’ddin Muhammad Babur Padshah Ghazi by Annette Susannah Beveridge, 2 Vols., – Londоn, 1922. –P.160 
9 Ширинова Р.Х. Национальная культура и национальный колорит в переводе. // Вестник Южно-Уральского 
государственного гуманитарно-педагогического университета, 2013. – С. 307-316. 
10 The Baburnama. Memoirs of Babur, Prince and Emperor, Translated, edited, and, annotated by Wheeler. M., 
Thackston. – New York & Oxford, 1996. –P. 140 



 

547			AMERICAN	Journal	of	Language,	Literacy	and	Learning	in	STEM	Education								www.	grnjournal.us		
 

"atlas." In the translation of realias, Thackston looks for ways to be as understandable as possible 
to the recipient. To achieve this goal, he tries to find the exact equivalent of the word "atlas" in 
the translation language. The similarity between these two fabrics is that they are made of silk. 
No matter how hard V. Thackston tries, he cannot give this linguistic and cultural property 
exactly in pragmatic harmony. 
The translation of realias is different in all three versions. Together with the translation practice's 
uniqueness, it shows the translators' styles, the translation level, and how intimately they know 
the "Baburnama" and the culture of the nation to which it belongs. 
Used literatures: 
1. Телия В.Н. Русская фразеология: семантический, прагматический и 

лингвокультурологический аспекты. – М.: Школа «Языки русской культуры», 1996. – 
С.87. 

2. Слышкин Г.Г. От текста к символу. Лингвокультурные концепты прецеденных текстов 
в сознании дискурса. – М.: Academia, 2000.-128 c 

3. Заҳириддин Муҳаммад Бобур. «Бобурнома». – Тошкент: Шарқ НМАК, 2002. – Б.90 
4. Ҳамроев Ҳ. Миллий хос сўзлар-реалиялар ва бадиий таржима // Таржима маданияти 

(Мақолалар тўплами). – Тошкент, 1982. – Б.158. 

5. King L, Leyden J. & Erskine W. Memoirs of Zehir-ed-Din Muhammed Baber, Emperor of 
Hindustan. – Londоn, 1826. Annetated and revised ed. by L.King, 2 Vols., – Milford, 1921. – 
P.170. 

6. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frock#dictionary-entry-1 
7. Хошимова Д. «Бобурнома» матнидаги тасвирий воситаларнинг инглиз тилига 

таржималари тадқиқи. Филол. фан. док. ... дисс. – Тошкент, 2018. – Б.228 
8. Khoshimova, D. M. (2015). The artistic and comparative interpretation in" Baburname" 

translations. In The Seventh European Conference on Languages, Literature and Linguistics 
(pp. 133-136). 

9. Khoshimova, D. M. (2017). The Psychology of Character Expression and Descriptive Tools 
in Reflecting Translation. International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences 
(IJELS). (pp.57-65) 

10. Khoshimova, D. M. (2015). SCIENTIFIC TERMS AND COMPARATIVE STYLE IN" 
BABURNAME" BY ZM BABUR. Theoretical & Applied Science, (12), 55-57. 

11. Khoshimova, D. M., & Inomiddinova, D. I. (2015). COMPARATIVE STUDYING THE 
WORLD OF ANIMALS IN" BABURNAME" BY ZM BABUR. Вестник современной 
науки, (9- 1), 97-99. 

12. Khoshimova, D. (2022). THE TRANSLATION PROBLEMS OF LINGUOCULTURAL 
PECULIARITIES OF “BABURNAME”. Gospodarka i Innowacje., 24, 1067-1069.  

13. Khoshimova, D. (2020). GENERAL AND CONDITIONAL PECULIARITIES OF 
DESCRIPTIVE MEANS IN" BABURNAME". The Scientific Heritage, (49-3), 50-51.  

14. Khoshimova, D. (2019). The place of author's personal and interpersonal comparison means 
in translation of «Baburname». Sciences of Europe, (45-5 (45)), 46-48.  

15. Khoshimova, D. M. (2018). THE PLACE OF AUTHOR’S PERSONAL AND 
INTERPERSONAL COMPARISON MEANS IN TRANSLATION OF" BABURNAME. In 
Colloquium-journal (No. 13-4, pp. 19-21). Голопристанський міськрайонний центр 
зайнятості= Голопристанский районный центр занятости.  



 

548			AMERICAN	Journal	of	Language,	Literacy	and	Learning	in	STEM	Education								www.	grnjournal.us		
 

16. Khoshimova, D. (2019). THE PLACE OF AUTHOR'S PERSONAL AND 
INTERPERSONAL COMPARISON MEANS IN TRANSLATION OF" BABURNAME". 
Sciences of Europe, (45-5), 46-48. 

17. Khoshimova, D. M. (2015). The artistic and comparative interpretation in" Baburname" 
translations. In The Seventh European Conference on Languages, Literature and Linguistics 
(pp. 133-136).  

18. Khoshimova, D. M., & Inomiddinova, D. I. (2015). COMPARATIVE STUDYING THE 
WORLD OF ANIMALS IN" BABURNAME" BY ZM BABUR. Вестник современной 
науки, (9- 1), 97-99.  

19. Khoshimova, D. M. (2015). SCIENTIFIC TERMS AND COMPARATIVE STYLE IN" 
BABURNAME" BY ZM BABUR. Theoretical & Applied Science, (12), 55-57. 

20. Khoshimova, D. M. (2015). «Бобурнома»да жой ва рельефни тасвирлашда қиёсий усул. 
ЎзМУ хабарлари, (1), 190-193 

21. Beveridge A.S. The Bābur-nāma in English (Memoirs of Babur), Translated from the 
original Turki Text of Zahiru’ddin Muhammad Babur Padshah Ghazi by Annette Susannah 
Beveridge, 2 Vols., – Londоn, 1922. –P.160 

22. Ширинова Р.Х. Национальная культура и национальный колорит в переводе. // 
Вестник Южно-Уральского государственного гуманитарно-педагогического 
университета, 2013. – С. 307-316. 

23. The Baburnama. Memoirs of Babur, Prince and Emperor, Translated, edited, and, annotated 
by Wheeler. M., Thackston. – New York & Oxford, 1996. –P. 140