THE TERM SOMATISM AND ITS CONCEPTUAL NATURE IN WORLD LINGUISTICS

Abstract

Somatism, the use of body-part terms (sôma) in linguistic expression, is a universal feature of human language. This study investigates the conceptual nature of somatisms through a comparative analysis across English, Uzbek, and Russian. Guided by Cognitive Metaphor Theory and the principles of embodied cognition, we hypothesize that somatic concepts serve as a primary source domain for the metaphorical mapping of abstract ideas, such as emotion, cognition, and social relations. Data were collected via corpus linguistics, lexicographical analysis, and ethnographic observation, focusing on idiomatic expressions and phraseological units. The results reveal both universal and culture-specific patterns in how the body conceptualizes abstract thought. While the mapping of the 'heart' to emotion is widely shared, specific expressions reflect distinct cultural values and worldviews. This research demonstrates that somatisms are not merely lexical items but fundamental cognitive tools that ground abstract thought in embodied experience, shaping the unique linguistic picture of the world for different speech communities. It offers a rich analysis of how the body acts as a universal reference point, while its specific metaphorical extensions are culturally contingent, contributing significantly to our understanding of the interface between language, cognition, and culture.