Retronymy As A Systemic Phenomenon in The Dynamic Evolution of Language

Abstract

This article investigates the phenomenon of retronymy in contemporary English and Uzbek from cognitive-linguistic and comparative-typological perspectives. The study provides a theoretical analysis of the mechanisms underlying retronym formation, their interrelationship with neologisms, and the influence of information and communication technologies, as well as social and cultural factors, on the lexical system of language. The syntactic, morphological, and discursive manifestations of retronyms are examined in detail. The findings demonstrate that retronymy constitutes a natural and systematic process of lexical development, reflecting the capacity of language to reconstruct its own categories in response to transformations in extralinguistic reality. It is established that retronyms in Uzbek are formed predominantly through free word combinations and relational affixes, distinguishing them typologically from their English counterparts. The study positions retronymy as a significant and promising field of inquiry situated at the intersection of lexicology, cognitive linguistics, and sociolinguistics.