THE EXPRESSIVE NUANCE OF SOMATIC PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS IN THE AZERBAIJANI LANGUAGE

INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND PRACTICAL CONFERENCE “INTEGRATION OF MODERN LINGUISTICS WITH SCIENCE, EDUCATION, AND PRACTICE IN THE PROCESS OF GLOBALIZATION: NEW APPROACHES, OPPORTUNITIES, AND CHALLENGES”, DECEMBER 4, 2025 1006 THE EXPRESSIVE NUANCE OF SOMATIC PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS IN THE AZERBAIJANI LANGUAGE Shakar Mammadova PhD in Philology Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University, Turkology Center Baku, Azerbaijan ORCID: 0009-0005-5385-4733 https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17894080 Abstract. In linguistics, phraseological units based on the names of body parts are referred to as somatic phraseologisms. In the syntax of phraseological units, one of the component words functions as a key element, forming the basis for both the connotation (the expressive nuance of a word or expression) and the semantic scope of the phraseologism. One of the typical features of somatic phraseological units is that the name of each body organ included in their structure expresses a figurative meaning. Somatic expressions formed by human body parts symbolize a wide range of meanings that reflect people’s worldview and perception of reality according to the functions these organs perform. Some somatic expressions refer to the customs and traditions embedded in the cultural life of a nation. Through these traditions, it is possible to trace remnants of ancient beliefs. Moreover, the examples of somatic phraseological units in our language—as well as in other Turkic languages—contain archaic elements that can help resolve various etymological issues. The study of metaphorical motivations in somatic expressions, and thereby the clarification of the hidden connection between literal and figurative meanings, holds great significance for linguistic research. The Azerbaijani language belongs to the Oghuz branch of the Turkic language family, and the somatic lexicon used in this language consists of lexemes of Turkic origin. Somatic vocabulary denoting the names of human body parts is directly related to everyday human life and reflects the cultural-anthropological and ethnocultural characteristics specific to the people. There also exist phraseological units in Turkic languages that share common semantics, identical lexical composition, and similar syntactic structure. Among these phraseological units, somatic phraseologisms formed with the participation of body-part names constitute notable units both in terms of meaning and structure. This similarity and commonality arise from the shared historical background and linguistic unity of the Turkic peoples in ancient times. Keywords: Somatic phraseologisms, body parts, literal meaning, figurative meaning, archaic element, cultural linguistics. Tana a’zolari nomlariga asoslangan frazeologik birliklar tilshunoslikda somatik frazeologizmlar deb ataladi. Frazeologik birliklarning sintaksisida so‘zlardan biri kalit vazifasini bajaradi va frazeologizmning konnotatsiya (so‘zning, iboraning ekspressiv ohangi) hamda ma’no o‘lchovlari uchun asos bo‘lib xizmat qiladi. Somatik frazeologik birliklarning tipik xususiyatlaridan biri ularni tashkil etuvchi har bir tana a’zosining nomi ko‘chma ma’no ifodalashidir. Inson tana a’zolari asosida shakllangan somatik iboralar ularning bajaradigan funksiyalariga ko‘ra xalqlarning hayotga munosabati va dunyoni idrok etishini ifoda etuvchi turli ma’nolarni ramziy tarzda aks ettiradi. Ba’zi somatik iboralar xalqning madaniy hayoti, urfodat va an’analariga murojaat qiladi. An’analar orqali qadimiy e’tiqodlarning izlarini topish INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND PRACTICAL CONFERENCE “INTEGRATION OF MODERN LINGUISTICS WITH SCIENCE, EDUCATION, AND PRACTICE IN THE PROCESS OF GLOBALIZATION: NEW APPROACHES, OPPORTUNITIES, AND CHALLENGES”, DECEMBER 4, 2025 1007 mumkin. Bundan tashqari, somatik frazeologik birliklarning ifoda namunalari ichida tilimizda, shuningdek, turkiy tillarda etimologik muammolarni hal etishga yordam beradigan arxaik unsurlar mavjud. Somatik iboralardagi metaforik motivlarni o‘rganish, shu orqali haqiqiy va ko‘chma ma’no o‘rtasidagi yashirin bog‘liqlikni aniqlash tilshunoslik tadqiqotlari uchun katta ahamiyatga ega. Ozarbayjon tili turkiy tillar oilasining O‘g‘uz guruhiga mansub bo‘lib, bu tilda qo‘llaniladigan somatik leksika turkiy kelib chiqishga ega leksik birliklardir. Inson tana a’zolari nomlarini bildiruvchi somatik leksika bevosita insonning kundalik hayoti bilan bog‘liq bo‘lib, xalqning madaniy-antropologik va etnokulturologik xususiyatlarini aks ettiradi. Turkiy tillarda umumiy semantikaga ega, bir xil leksik tarkib va sintaktik tuzilishga ega bo‘lgan frazeologik birliklar mavjud. Turkiy tillardagi bu frazeologik birliklar orasida inson tana a’zolari nomlari ishtirokida shakllangan somatik frazeologizmlar mazmun va struktura jihatdan e’tiborga molik birliklardir. Bu o‘xshashlik qadim zamonlarda turk xalqlarining umumiy tarixiy yaqinligi va til birligidan kelib chiqadi. Kalit so‘zlar: somatik frazeologizmlar, tana a’zolari, haqiqiy ma’no, ko‘chma ma’no, arxaik unsur, madaniy tilshunoslik. Резюме. Фразеологические единицы, основанные на названиях частей тела, в лингвистике называются соматическими фразеологизмами. Одно из слов в синтаксисе фразеологической единицы является ключевым и составляет основу коннотации (экспрессивной окраски слова или выражения) и семантического значения фразеологизма. Типичной особенностью соматических фразеологических единиц является то, что каждое из входящих в них названий органов выражает переносное значение. Соматические выражения, формируемые названиями органов человеческого тела, символизируют различные значения, отражающие мировосприятие и жизненные взгляды народов в зависимости от выполняемых функций. Некоторые соматические выражения опираются на обычаи и традиции культурной жизни народа. Через традиции можно проследить следы древних верований. Кроме того, в примерах употребления соматических фразеологических единиц, как в нашем языке, так и в тюркских языках, содержатся архаические элементы, которые могут способствовать решению этимологических проблем. Исследование метафорических мотивов в соматических выражениях, а также выявление скрытой связи между буквальным и переносным значением имеет большое значение для лингвистических исследований. Азербайджанский язык относится к огузской группе тюркских языков, и соматическая лексика в этом языке представляет собой тюркские по происхождению лексические единицы. Соматическая лексика, обозначающая части тела человека, напрямую связана с бытом народа и отражает его культурно-антропологические и этнокультурные особенности. В тюркских языках существуют фразеологические единицы с общим значением, одинаковым лексическим составом и синтаксической структурой. Среди этих единиц соматические фразеологизмы, включающие названия органов человека, представляют собой интересные объекты как по содержанию, так и по структуре. Это сходство объясняется общей исторической близостью тюркских народов и родством языков в древние времена. Ключевые слова: соматические фразеологизмы, части тела, буквальное значение, переносное значение, архаический элемент, культурная лингвистика. INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND PRACTICAL CONFERENCE “INTEGRATION OF MODERN LINGUISTICS WITH SCIENCE, EDUCATION, AND PRACTICE IN THE PROCESS OF GLOBALIZATION: NEW APPROACHES, OPPORTUNITIES, AND CHALLENGES”, DECEMBER 4, 2025 1008 INTRODUCTION Phraseological units, which form one of the richest lexical treasures of the Turkic language, are fossilized expressions that reflect people’s attitudes toward the external environment and events, their worldview, relationships, and behaviors. These units, while differing to some extent from their literal meanings, employ devices such as contrast and metaphor. Phraseological units, which serve as concise linguistic reflections of the Turkic national philosophy, constitute significant lexical wealth in terms of their number, usage domains, themes, and content in both the Turkic language and its folklore. Divided into numerous thematic groups, phraseologisms represent a rich linguistic reservoir that guides the etymological and semantic studies of the Turkic language as a whole, encompassing both its historical and contemporary forms. Furthermore, phraseological units— particularly somatic phraseological units—are important not only because they preserve archaic elements that illuminate linguistic studies, but also because they have undergone very little change, remaining stable units and providing strong evidence of the common origin of the Turkic languages. “The ancient layer of the lexicon of the Turkic languages is associated with the names of human body parts and organs. These names, which possess polysemous, metaphorical, and metonymic qualities, are anatomical concepts in their primary meanings. The names of body parts and organs date back to the earliest period of formation of the Turkic languages. Therefore, they bear general Turkological characteristics and are used similarly in most Turkic languages.” (1, p.105) In a phraseological unit with semantic integrity, one of the words constitutes the main semantic component intended to be conveyed in the idiom. This key word is often the first element of the phrase, though in some cases it appears as the second. The words within phraseologisms do not come together arbitrarily. Since ancient times, some idioms in our language have included archaic elements that may not be used outside these expressions today. Anatomical names—i.e., names of organs that have been used in our language since ancient times—occupy a central place in idioms. Words such as baş (head), göz (eye), ağız (mouth), dil (tongue), qaş (eyebrow), əl (hand), ayaq (foot), qulaq (ear), ürək (heart) serve as primary elements expressing the core meaning of such units. A typical feature of somatic phraseological units is that each organ name in their structure expresses a figurative meaning. “Most somatic expressions are native to the language, belonging specifically to the people, and they embody the characteristics of the national linguistic units of that group. Therefore, true somatic expressions bear a national character. Somatic expressions that have developed through the internal resources of the language and have gradually settled into the lexicon are based on the ancient and rich vocabulary of our people.” (2, p.234) As natural results of the worldview, experience, and knowledge of the Turkic people, somatic phraseological units (idioms) have reached the present day as concise expressive forms and have acquired figurative meanings beyond their original literal senses. For example, in nearly all Turkic dialects, the words ürək / yürek and qəlb / kalb express emotions such as joy, compassion, sadness, bravery, heroism, and cowardice: Turkish: yüreği ağzına gelmek, yüreği parçalanmak, yüreği yanmak, yüreğine inmek, yüreğine ateş düşmek Kazakh: жүрегі аузына тығылу, жүрегі жану, жүрегі сыздау, жүрегі жылу, жүрегі зырқ Kyrgyz: жүрөгү оозуна тыгылуу, жүрөгү сыздоо, жүрөгү түшүү, жүрөгүн өйүү INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND PRACTICAL CONFERENCE “INTEGRATION OF MODERN LINGUISTICS WITH SCIENCE, EDUCATION, AND PRACTICE IN THE PROCESS OF GLOBALIZATION: NEW APPROACHES, OPPORTUNITIES, AND CHALLENGES”, DECEMBER 4, 2025 1009 Uzbek: yuragini yormoq, yuragiga o‘t solmoq, yuragi toshib ketdi, yuragi qon bo‘ldi Azerbaijani: ürəyi ağzına gəlmək, ürəyi yanmaq, ürəyi qırılıb ayağının altına düşmək, ürəyi parçalanmaq Turkmen: ýüregi agzyna gelmek, ýüregi düşmek, ýüregi salmak, ýüregiň daralmak, etc. Another highly sensitive organ name—göz (eye)—often conveys meanings such as love, appreciation, value, happiness, jealousy, fame, or intimidation: Turkish: göz dikmek, gözlerinin içi gülmek, gözünü ayırmamak; Azerbaijani: göz dikmək, göz oxşamaq, göz qaytarmaq, göz üstə saxlamaq; Kazakh: көз алмау, көз сүзу, көз тастау; Uzbek: ko‘zining oq-u qorasi, ko‘z tıkmoq, ko‘z yummoq; Turkmen: göz dikmek, gözün gülmek, gözüni süzmek, etc. Despite certain phonetic, lexical, and morphological differences, the somatic phraseological units common across Turkic languages can be classified as follows: 1. Somatic phraseological units similar in both lexical composition and meaning: bel bağlamaq (Azerb.), bel bog‘lamoq (Uz.), bîl bağlamak (Trk.), bel bağlamak (Tr.) baş əymək (Azerb.), baş eğmek (Trk./Tr.), bosh egmoq (Uz.) qulaq asmaq (Azerb.), kulak asmak (Qum.), qoloq osmoq (Uz.), qulaq asmak (Trk.) 2. Somatic phraseological units similar in meaning but partially different in lexical structure: ağlı başından çıxmaq (Azerb.), başından huşı uçmak (Trk.), aklı başından gitmek (Tr.) ensesine binmek (Tr.), boynuna minmək (Azerb.) başına çarə qılmaq (Azerb.), başını çaramak (Trk.), başının çaresine bakmak (Tr.) əlindən tutmaq (Azerb.), golundan götürmek (Trk.) 3. Somatic phraseological units different in meaning but similar in lexical composition: daş çürektiq (Tuv.: fearless) – daş ürəkli (Azerb.: cruel) avuz açıu (Kaz./Bashq.: opening of the fast, engagement ceremony) – avuz açmak (Qum.: girl’s engagement) – ağız açmaq (Azerb.: to ask, request) Throughout history, the Turkic people have belonged to various cultural circles and followed different religions. Phraseological units that preserve deep traces of these belief systems reflect the spiritual life of the nation. This also applies to somatic expressions. Some somatic idioms are closely associated with ancient customs and beliefs. Examples include: Turkish: ağzına abdestle almak, ağzından yel alsın, başına devlet kuşu konmak, baş sağlığı dilemek, can damarına basmak, canı ağzına gelmek, can kurban, dilini kesmek, el basmak, el benden sebep Allah’tan, kulağı çınlasın, göz değmek / nazar değmek; Kazakh: мойнына бұршақ салып тілеу (earnestly begging God), бетін жырту (expressing deep grief), көргенінен көз ақы алу (expecting a share of what is seen), тіл көзім тасқа (may the evil eye not harm) These expressions represent some of the finest examples of somatic phraseology intertwined with the spiritual and cultural world of the Turkic peoples. Conclusion. Somatic phraseological units that have found their place in the lexical fund of the Common Turkic language manifest themselves both in the oral folk literature and in written literary-artistic samples of the Turkic languages as a result of the historical development of the Common Turkic language. Having a very ancient history, somatic phraseological units became part of the basic vocabulary of the Turkic languages and were formed and developed during the period when the Common Turkic language existed. INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND PRACTICAL CONFERENCE “INTEGRATION OF MODERN LINGUISTICS WITH SCIENCE, EDUCATION, AND PRACTICE IN THE PROCESS OF GLOBALIZATION: NEW APPROACHES, OPPORTUNITIES, AND CHALLENGES”, DECEMBER 4, 2025 1010 Among the most widespread types of phraseologisms in the modern Azerbaijani spoken language are somatic phraseological units. When comparing somatic phraseological units of the Turkic languages, it becomes evident that although a certain part of these units coincide in structure and meaning, some differ either in form or in semantic aspect. Most somatic phraseological units, considered the oldest elements of our language, consist of lexical items denoting external body parts such as mouth, head, eye, hand, foot, tongue, etc. Although research on idioms in the field of Turkology has accelerated recently and numerous studies have been conducted, the existing gaps have not been fully resolved. In phraseological units, which represent a concise and laconic expression of our national philosophy, our general worldview, shared logic, common perception and collective identity are reflected. The original meaning of certain expressions that disappeared in one Turkic language has been preserved in another. Therefore, comparative analysis of phraseologisms, especially somatic phraseological units, among Turkic languages must be given due importance. Additionally, somatic phraseological units encountered in historical works from ancient times should be studied and examined from the semantic perspective. Since phraseological units, particularly those based on body parts, are among the most stable units of our vocabulary, their historical and comparative study will undoubtedly make an important contribution to linguistic research. REFERENCES 1. X. Mammadova. Phraseological combinations in Azerbaijani dialects and sub-dialects. İpək Yolu (Silk Road), No. 4, 2018, pp. 104–107. 2. Jalə Ganiyeva. The etymological composition of somatic expressions in the Azerbaijani language. Issues of Philology, No. 5, 2019, pp. 234–239. 3. Explanatory Dictionary of the Azerbaijani Language, in 4 volumes, Vol. I, Baku: ŞərqQərb, 2006. 4. Turkish Dictionary, 11th Edition, Turkish Language Association Publications, Ankara, 2011. 5. Explanatory Dictionary of the Turkmen Language, in two volumes. Vol. I (A–Ž). Ashgabat, 2016. 6. Phraseological Dictionary of the Turkmen Language, Ashgabat, 2013. 7. Phraseological Dictionary of the Kazakh Language / G. Smagulova. Almaty: Kazakh University, 2020. 8. 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