Contractions in The Uzbek Language and The History of Their Study

Abstract

This article examines contractions in the Uzbek language and the historical development of their study in linguistic research. Contractions are considered an important linguistic phenomenon that reflects phonetic, morphological, and syntactic processes occurring in the development of a language. The study analyzes how contractions arise through the interaction of linguistic units, resulting in phonetic reduction, fusion of grammatical elements, and the simplification of frequently used constructions. The research also reviews the historical stages of studying grammatical categories in Turkic and Uzbek linguistics. Particular attention is paid to the contributions of early sources and scholars such as Mahmud Kashgari, Mahmud az-Zamaxshariy, Alisher Navoiy, Mirzo Mehdixon, and later linguists who investigated grammatical structures of the Uzbek language. The article highlights the evolution of the study of grammatical categories, particularly case forms, and the development of Uzbek grammar in the twentieth century. The results demonstrate that contractions play a significant role in understanding language change, the interaction between spoken and written forms, and the historical development of Uzbek within the broader framework of Turkic linguistics.