LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF NOSTALGIC SONGS IN UZBEK AND ENGLISH

135 Vol. 5, No. 11 – Special Issue (EJAR) ISSN: 2181-2020 LPTIENP International Scientific-Practice Conference on “Linguistics and Pedagogical Technologies: International Experience and National Practice” Denau, November 20, 2025 in-academy.uz/index.php/ejar LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF NOSTALGIC SONGS IN UZBEK AND ENGLISH Xayitova Rushana Ximoyiddin qizi Denov tadbirkorlik va pedagogika instituti o‘qituvchisi E-mail: [email protected] https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17627630 Annotation: This article provides a linguistic analysis of nostalgic songs in Uzbek and English. The study examines the lexical-semantic and stylistic means that express nostalgia in the folk song “Qarg‘alar” and Ed Sheeran’s “Castle on the Hill.” In particular, the use of biographical, sensory, toponymic, zoosemantic, emotive, and deictic units is analyzed. The article explores how nostalgic meaning is conveyed through language on aesthetic, psychological, and cultural levels. A comparative approach is applied to identify similarities and differences between Uzbek and English cultural contexts. Keywords: nostalgia, song lyrics, linguistic analysis, comparative study, sensory unit, toponymic unit, emotive lexis, semantic connotation. Annotatsiya: Ushbu maqolada o‘zbek va ingliz tillaridagi nostalgik qo‘shiqlar lingvistik jihatdan tahlil qilinadi. Tadqiqotda “Qarg‘alar” (xalq qo‘shig‘i) hamda Ed Sheeranning “Castle on the Hill” qo‘shig‘i asosida nostalgiya mazmunining ifodalanishiga xizmat qiluvchi leksik-semantik va stilistik vositalar o‘rganiladi. Xususan, biografik, sensor, toponimik, zoosemantik, emotiv va deiktik birliklarning qo‘llanishi tahlil qilinadi. Maqolada nostalgiya holatining til orqali estetik, psixologik va madaniy darajada qanday ifoda topishi ko‘rsatiladi. Qiyosiy yondashuv asosida o‘zbek va ingliz madaniyatlaridagi umumiylik va o‘ziga xosliklar aniqlanadi. Kalit so‘zlar: nostalgiya, qo‘shiq matni, lingvistik tahlil, qiyosiy tadqiq, sensor birlik, toponimik birlik, emotiv leksika, semantik konnotatsiya. Nostalgia is a deep feeling of longing that arises in a person for happy moments, places, or situations experienced in the past [1; p. xiii–xiv]. This term is derived from Ancient Greek, composed of the components “νόστος” (nóstos) meaning “return home” and “ἄλγος” (álgos) meaning “pain” or “sorrow.” Initially, in the 17th century, it was described as a psychological condition observed among Swiss mercenaries, expressing their longing for home [2; p. 405]. In the modern era, nostalgia is interpreted, unlike in the past, as a complex emotional state associated with personal and collective memory, cultural identity, and emotional experiences [3; p.258]. In particular, music serves as a powerful trigger for nostalgic feelings. Indeed, songs not only evoke personal memories but also become a linguistic expression of longing for lost values, forgotten environments, and an idealized past. In nostalgic songs, language is used to idealize the past and to create images such as childhood, homeland, first love, and lost happiness. These texts widely employ emotionally charged lexical units, expressive means, poetic parallelisms, and semantic contrasts. Notably, through such linguistic elements, nostalgia becomes not only an aesthetic phenomenon but also a central aspect of personal and social perception. Since language reflects the human psyche, the study of expressions related to nostalgia is considered a particularly relevant field in linguistics. This is because the phenomenon not only reveals the interplay between language and culture, but also contributes to the exploration of identity, memory, and forms of emotional expression. Therefore, the linguistic analysis of nostalgic songs is not only a topical issue in linguistics but also represents a research direction with significant methodological and conceptual foundations. 136 Vol. 5, No. 11 – Special Issue (EJAR) ISSN: 2181-2020 LPTIENP International Scientific-Practice Conference on “Linguistics and Pedagogical Technologies: International Experience and National Practice” Denau, November 20, 2025 in-academy.uz/index.php/ejar The object of this study is the lyrics of Uzbek and English songs that express a nostalgic mood, aiming to explore the artistic and linguistic features of nostalgia. Ed Sheeran’s “Castle on the Hill” and the traditional Uzbek folk song “Qarg‘alar” have been selected as the primary material for analysis. The subject of this research is the linguistic devices used in the selected Uzbek and English nostalgic songs. These include emotional lexical units, stylistic expressions, poetic imagery, semantic connotations, and their communicative-functional potential in conveying the meaning of nostalgia. Nostalgia is not merely a recollection of personal memories, but a profound spiritual phenomenon that reveals a nation’s historical sufferings, losses, and emotional state. Therefore, through this concept, it becomes possible to uncover not only specific moments of the past but also the painful chapters of a people’s destiny using aesthetic and linguistic means. Let us now turn to the analysis of nostalgic elements in the lyrics of the Uzbek song “Qarg‘alar” (The Crows): 1. In the line “Qarg‘alar uchsa qaraylik” (Let’s watch when the crows fly), the word crows (qarg‘alar) functions as a zoonym, belonging to the lexical layer of animal names. In language, it often carries connotative semantic weight related to misfortune, evil, and distance. This unit can be classified as a zoosemantic lexical element. Within the context of “Siberia” (Sibir), it serves as a geosemantic signal, conveying a historical image of exile and displacement associated with a specific place. The entire line is based on linguistic units that perform a nostalgic-emotive function. 2. In the line “Marg‘ilonning yo‘liga” (To the road of Margilan), Margilan is a toponym and functions as an onomastic unit denoting a specific geographical location. It evokes notions of homeland and native land, and is thus classified as a toponymic unit with emotional-connotative value. While the word road (yo‘l) denotes direction in a literal sense, in this context, its usage allows for metaphorical interpretation—as a lexical unit symbolizing aspiration and longing for the homeland. 3. In the line “Hidi kelsa mast bo‘laylik” (If we smell it, let us be intoxicated), the word smell (hid) is classified as a sensorial unit, belonging to the lexical layer related to the senses. It functions as an associative-semantic unit, evoking memories and past impressions. The phrase mast bo‘lish (to be intoxicated) is a metaphorical idiom expressing a state of emotional surrender. Thus, in this line, nostalgia is conveyed through the combination of sensor-semantic and metaphoric-stylistic elements. 4. In the line “Handalakning bo‘yiga” (To the fragrance of the handalak), handalak (a type of melon) is an ethno-lexical unit in the Uzbek language, used as a marker of national culture. Such units serve to represent traditional customs, lifestyle, and cultural memory in language. The word fragrance (bo‘y)—while denoting scent in its literal sense—also conveys connotative and sensory imagery in this context. Therefore, this line illustrates how nostalgia is expressed on an emotional-sensory level through ethno-lexical elements. 5. In the line “Sen unda zor, men bunda zor” (You suffer there, I suffer here), the repeated word zor is an emotivative lexical unit, indicating an emotional state. Its lexical-semantic analysis reveals that it denotes psychological conditions such as pain, distress, and longing. The pronouns there (unda) and here (bunda) are deictic units, referring to two opposing spaces and creating a system of oppositional units in the text. This opposition intensifies the sense of separation. 6. In the line “To‘tiqushning bolasidek, ikkalamiz intizor” (Like a parrot’s chick, we both are longing), the phrase parrot’s chick functions as a comparative construction based on a zoosemantic unit. In linguistics, such expressions fall within the semantic model of comparison. The word longing (intizor) is an emotive-psychological lexical unit, indicating states of waiting, hope, and yearning. 137 Vol. 5, No. 11 – Special Issue (EJAR) ISSN: 2181-2020 LPTIENP International Scientific-Practice Conference on “Linguistics and Pedagogical Technologies: International Experience and National Practice” Denau, November 20, 2025 in-academy.uz/index.php/ejar Stylistically, the line exhibits stylistic intensity—a strong emotional state is expressed through syntactic simplicity. The song “Qarg‘alar” is an artistic reflection of the Uzbek people's historical tragedies, particularly the sorrows experienced during the labor mobilization of 1916. The nostalgic elements in this song represent not only personal memories but also the collective memory, longing for the homeland, and spiritual resilience of an entire nation preserved in the hearts of its people. Nostalgic Unit Type Semantic Function Qarg‘alar Zoosemantic Symbol of misfortune and distance Marg‘ilon yo‘li Toponymic Longing for the homeland, emotional path Handalakning hidi Sensorial/Ethnolexical Childhood memory, sign of peaceful life Mast bo‘lish Metaphorical State of surrender to memories Zor – zor Emotive Dual expression of separation and sorrow To‘tiqushning bolasi Stylistic/Emotive Symbol of vulnerability, waiting, and hope There are many texts in English that contain linguistic units expressing nostalgia. In particular, we will linguistically analyze the expression of nostalgia based on the lyrics of Ed Sheeran’s song “Castle on the Hill”: 1. In the line “When I was six years old, I broke my leg”, the phrases “six years old” and “broke my leg” are biographical units associated with memory and physical experience. In particular, “broke my leg” reflects the child’s vulnerability during childhood and evokes a sensory memory rooted in personal pain. These expressions trigger nostalgia on an autobiographical and emotional-emotive basis. 2. In the line “Tasted the sweet perfume of the mountain grass”, the phrases “sweet perfume” and “mountain grass” are sensory units that activate olfactory (sense of smell) and visual memory. Notably, the use of the word “perfume” in relation to scent intensifies the nostalgic element. Here, memory is revived through the sense of perception. 3. The phrase “Take me back to when…” is repeated several times in the song, expressing a desire to return to the past. This expression is an emotive-cognitive unit that reflects retroactive longing and directly conveys the feeling of nostalgia. 4. In the line “We watched the sunset over the castle on the hill”, the images “sunset” and “castle on the hill” function as visual-semantic units that aesthetically and nostalgically depict childhood landscapes. In particular, the toponym “castle on the hill” is associated with the place where the author spent his childhood, evoking toponymic nostalgia as a localized geosemantic unit. 5. Lines such as “Fifteen years old and smoking hand-rolled cigarettes” and “getting drunk with my friends” represent biographical-emotive units related to a specific age and time period. They evoke memories of an adventurous and free-spirited teenage lifestyle, generating a sense of temporal nostalgia. 6. In the line “My friends and I have not thrown up in so long”, the phrase “thrown up”, though somewhat grotesque, recalls the carefree and uninhibited nature of the past. The phrase “My friends and I” indicates a shared experience, creating a sense of collective-emotive nostalgia. 138 Vol. 5, No. 11 – Special Issue (EJAR) ISSN: 2181-2020 LPTIENP International Scientific-Practice Conference on “Linguistics and Pedagogical Technologies: International Experience and National Practice” Denau, November 20, 2025 in-academy.uz/index.php/ejar 7. Lines such as “One friend left to sell clothes. One works down by the coast…” describe the current lives of friends, establishing a deictic-oppositional relationship between past and present. This serves as a clear example of social-emotive nostalgia. 8. In the line “And I miss the way you make me feel – it’s real”, the verb “miss” expresses a deep sense of longing and inner yearning for the past. This line functions as an emotive-psychological unit, conveying personal emotions and nostalgic attachment. Nostalgic Unit Type Semantic Function Broke my leg Biographical / Sensorial Recalling a personal childhood experience Sweet perfume of mountain grass Sensorial-semantic Remembering childhood through scent Take me back to when… Emotive-cognitive Longing for the past, nostalgia Castle on the hill Toponymic / Geosemantic Recalling homeland and childhood scenery Fifteen years old, smoking… Biographical-emotive Reminding of youthful experiences and adventures Thrown up with friends Collective-emotive Recalling carefree moments and freedom with friends One friend left…, one had kids… Social-deictic Expressing separation through the current state of friends Miss the way you make me feel Emotive-psychological Expressing personal feelings and longing for emotional connection Although the nostalgic elements expressed in “Castle on the Hill” are rooted in Ed Sheeran’s personal life and memories, they are transformed from individual experiences into universally relatable emotions. Personal events (such as breaking a leg or a first kiss), places (the castle on the hill, old roads), and emotional states (longing, joy, sorrow) are elevated into generalized images that enable collective remembrance. The harmony of emotive, sensorial, and toposemantic elements in the song serves to convey a universal experience of nostalgia. Indeed, Sheeran’s personal memories become shared symbols that prompt millions of listeners to recall their own. The analysis of nostalgic songs in Uzbek and English shows that the meaning of nostalgia is conveyed not only thematically, but also at the lexical-semantic and stylistic levels. In the examples of “Qarg‘alar” and “Castle on the Hill”, nostalgia is expressed through sensorial, emotive, toponymic, and biographical elements. In particular, emotional lexical units, deictic expressions, as well as zoosemantic and geosemantic elements appear as the primary semantic means of conveying nostalgia. In these songs, memories of the past transcend personal experience and rise to the level of collective cultural consciousness, enabling aesthetic and emotional remembrance through language. Images of nostalgia serve as a means of expressing national culture, historical suffering, and human emotions. In conclusion, the analysis of nostalgic songs reveals the capacity of language to preserve and revive memories. Their comparative linguistic study serves as a valuable methodological basis for identifying cross-cultural similarities and differences. 139 Vol. 5, No. 11 – Special Issue (EJAR) ISSN: 2181-2020 LPTIENP International Scientific-Practice Conference on “Linguistics and Pedagogical Technologies: International Experience and National Practice” Denau, November 20, 2025 in-academy.uz/index.php/ejar References: 1. Boym S. The Future of Nostalgia / S. Boym. – New York: Basic Books, 2001. – xix, 404 p. [pp. xiii–xiv.] 2. Fuentenebro de Diego F., Valiente C. Nostalgia: a conceptual history // History of Psychiatry. — 2014. — Vol. 25, no. 4. — P. 404–411. 3. Kenny, M. (2017). Back to the populist future?: Understanding nostalgia in contemporary ideological discourse. Journal of Political Ideologies, 22(3), 256–273. 4. Qosimov N. Folklor musiqa ijrochiligi: o‘quv qo‘llanma. – Toshkent: Talqin, 2008. – 192 b. [110-b.] 5. Sheeran E. Castle on the Hill / E. Sheeran, B. Levin; © Sony / ATV Music Publishing LLC. – [online]: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, 2017. https://sandraheyersongs.com/wpcontent/uploads/2017/01/castle-on-the-hill-lyrics.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com