PRAGMATIC FUNCTIONS OF MODAL EXPRESSIONS IN ENGLISH AND UZBEK COURTROOM SPEECH
Abstract
One look at courtroom talk shows how words like must or kerak do more than state rules they push actions, soften demands, guide guesses. Instead of just grammar, these forms carry weight power, caution, duty in both English and Uzbek trials. A closer examination uncovers patterns shaped by law traditions plus everyday speech habits across languages. Through recorded hearings and talks with those inside the system, small word choices expose big shifts in meaning. What appears as simple permission in one tongue may sound firm, even rigid, when switched to another. These insights fill holes long ignored in studies comparing courtroom language worldwide. Behind every recommendation lies real data ways to sharpen understanding among translators, judges, attorneys working where two tongues meet justice. Clarity grows not from theory alone but from watching actual exchanges unfold under pressure.