COMPOUNDING AS A WORD FORMATION PROCESS IN ENGLISH AND UZBEK: STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL PERSPECTIVES

Abstract

Compounding is a fundamental word formation process that plays a significant role in the lexical development of both English and Uzbek. This article provides a comparative analysis of compounding in these two languages, focusing on both structural and functional perspectives. In English, compounds are formed by the combination of different parts of speech and often exhibit a flexible structure, with stress patterns distinguishing compounds from phrases. In contrast, Uzbek compounds predominantly follow noun-noun constructions and maintain a head-final structure, reflecting the agglutinative nature of the language. Functionally, compounding in both languages supports lexical innovation, semantic economy, and cultural expression. This study highlights the similarities and differences between English and Uzbek compounding, providing insights into how linguistic typology influences word formation processes.