REPRESENTATION OF ARCHAIC AND HISTORICAL WORDS IN THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF PIRIMQUL QODIROV'S YULDUZLI TUNLAR (STARRY NIGHTS)

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 807 REPRESENTATION OF ARCHAIC AND HISTORICAL WORDS IN THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF PIRIMQUL QODIROV’S YULDUZLI TUNLAR (STARRY NIGHTS) Tukhtaev Nabijon Vokhidovich Master of Navoi State University https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17830372 Abstract. This article examines how archaic and historical words in Pirimqul Qodirov’s historical novel Yulduzli tunlar are rendered in its English translation Starry Nights (2018). Because the novel portrays the life of Zahiriddin Muhammad Babur and the Timurid-era sociocultural environment, it contains numerous culture-specific and archaic lexical items. Using comparative textual analysis, this study identifies key archaic words in the original and investigates translation strategies used to transfer them into English. The findings show that translators frequently use borrowing, transliteration, and descriptive equivalents to preserve cultural authenticity while ensuring readability. Some loss of nuance occurs, especially in culturally loaded terms with no English equivalents. Overall, the translation succeeds in maintaining historical atmosphere and cultural color. This study highlights the importance of cultural sensitivity and lexical accuracy in the translation of historical fiction. Keywords: Archaic vocabulary; historical terms; translation strategies; Pirimqul Qodirov; Yulduzli tunlar; Starry Nights; cultural translation; linguistics Introduction Historical novels often depend heavily on archaic and culturally bound vocabulary to recreate the atmosphere of a past era. Pirimqul Qodirov’s Yulduzli tunlar is a significant Uzbek historical novel depicting the early life of Babur, founder of the Mughal Empire. The English translation Starry Nights, produced by I.M. Tukhtasinov, U.R. Yoldoshev, and A.A. Khamidov, has made this work accessible to global audiences. However, translating archaic vocabulary is a complex task. Many Uzbek historical terms—relating to feudal hierarchy, clothing, military structure, religious concepts, and cultural customs—lack direct English equivalents. Analyzing how these words are represented in English reveals both the challenges and the creativity inherent in literary translation. This article investigates how archaic and historical words from the original novel were translated into English and evaluates the effectiveness of the strategies used. Literature Review Scholars such as Newmark (1988), Baker (2011), and Venuti (1995) emphasize the importance of balancing foreignization and domestication in translation, especially when working with culturally loaded vocabulary. Translators of historical fiction must recreate the historical flavor without confusing readers. Existing Uzbek–English translation studies highlight challenges surrounding the transfer of cultural terms from Central Asian history and Islamic civilization. While some research discusses Qodirov’s narrative style, studies specifically analyzing the archaic vocabulary in the English translation of Yulduzli tunlar remain limited. Therefore, this article contributes to filling this scholarly gap. 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 808 Methodology This research employs a qualitative descriptive method: 1. The original Uzbek text of Yulduzli tunlar was examined. 2.Archaic and historical words were identified. 3.The English translation Starry Nights was analyzed. 4.Lexical items were grouped by category 5.Source and target versions were compared. 6.Translation strategies were identified: 7. The strategies’ effectiveness in preserving cultural meaning was evaluated Below are the main groups of archaic and historical words found in Yulduzli tunlar and their English renderings in Starry Nights 1. Titles, Ranks, and Social Hierarchy Source Word Meaning English Translation Strategy Mirza Noble prince Mirza Borrowing Begim Princess, noblewoman begim Borrowing Bey Feudal lord bey Borrowing Padishah King/emperor “sovereign” Partial substitution Sultan Noble ruler Sultan Borrowing Vazir High-ranking officer Vizier Known loanword Imam Prayer leader Imam Borrowing Muezzin Caller to prayer Muezzin Borrowing 2. Clothing, Household Items, and Material Culture Chakmon Central Asian coat “chakmon – caftantype outerwear” Borrowing + definition Piala Tea bowl piala Borrowing Handalak Small melon handalak Borrowing Kamchi Whip/lash “lash” Descriptive equivalent Turban Traditional headwear turban Existing English word Cauldron terms Traditional cooking pots retained Borrowing 3. Food and Table Culture Iftar Meal after sunset during Ramadan iftar Iftar Saharlik Pre-dawn meal saharlik Saharlik Mastava Rice soup “rice soup with vegetables” Mastava Dastarkhan Table arrangement “dastarkhan – table” Dastarkhan Sherbet Sweet drink sherbet Sherbet 4. Religious and Cultural Terminology Word Meaning Translation Azan Call to prayer azan 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 809 Qur’an Holy scripture Qur’an Shariah Islamic law Shariah Hadith Prophetic sayings Hadises 5. Military, Geography, and Architecture Madrassa Islamic educational institution madrassa Devonxona Royal reception room divankhona Discussion The analysis shows that the translators generally preferred foreignization, preserving the original form of many historical words. This approach maintains the Uzbek cultural and historical flavor, allowing readers to experience the medieval Central Asian setting authentically. However, foreignization sometimes reduces accessibility for readers unfamiliar with the culture. To compensate, translators occasionally used explanatory notes within the text (e.g., chakmon – caftan-type outerwear). This hybrid approach—foreignization with contextual explanation—successfully maintains both clarity and authenticity. Certain nuances, especially emotional or hierarchical shades embedded in words like begim, khanum-aya, and bey-atka, cannot be perfectly conveyed in English. Nevertheless, the translators’ combination of strategies shows strong cultural sensitivity and demonstrates a deep understanding of the original text. Conclusion The English translation Starry Nights effectively renders the archaic and historical vocabulary of Yulduzli tunlar through a variety of thoughtful translation strategies. Borrowing and transliteration help preserve the cultural tone, while descriptive equivalents make the text more accessible. Although some minor loss of cultural nuance is inevitable, the translators succeed in recreating the historical atmosphere of Babur’s era for English-speaking readers. This study demonstrates that translating historical fiction requires not only linguistic accuracy but also an appreciation of cultural and historical context. Acknowledgements The author expresses sincere gratitude to the translators of Starry Nights — I.M. Tukhtasinov, U.R. Yoldoshev, and A.A. Khamidov — whose careful and dedicated work made this research possible. Their translation provided the primary material analyzed in this study. REFERENCES 1. Qodirov, P. (2018). Starry Nights. Samarkand: SamSIFL. 2. Newmark, P. (1988). A Textbook of Translation. Prentice Hall. 3. Venuti, L. (1995). The Translator’s Invisibility. Routledge. 4. Baker, M. (2011). In Other Words: A Coursebook on Translation. Routledge.