TOPONYMS AND IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION IN MULTILINGUAL SOCIETIES: UZBEK AND ENGLISH CASES
Abstract
This article examines the relationship between toponyms and identity construction in multilingual societies through the examples of Uzbek and English linguistic environments. The study explores how geographical names reflect ethnic memory, cultural values, political transformations, and social identity in different historical and sociolinguistic contexts. The research analyzes the semantic, historical, and linguocultural characteristics of Uzbek and English toponyms, emphasizing their role in preserving collective memory and shaping national consciousness. Special attention is paid to the influence of globalization, colonial history, migration, and language contact on the formation and transformation of place names. The article applies comparative, sociolinguistic, and discourse-based approaches to identify similarities and differences in the functioning of toponyms within multilingual communities.