Componential Analysis of Lexical Units Expressing the "Concepts of Joy and Sufferin” in English

Authors
  • Ikhtiyorova Maftunaxon Anvarjon qizi

    2nd year doctoral student at Kokand State University.
Keywords:
componential analysis, lexical units, semantics, semantic components, joy, suffering, emotional words, synonyms
Abstract

This study investigates the lexical units expressing the concepts of joy and suffering in English through the framework of componential analysis. The research aims to identify the semantic features that distinguish emotionally related lexical items while revealing the structural organization of these two opposing conceptual fields. Using a qualitative semantic approach, lexical units are analyzed according to their archisemes and differential semantic components, including emotional intensity, duration, orientation, and underlying causes. The findings demonstrate that words belonging to the semantic field of joy share the common feature of a positive emotional state but differ in terms of expressive force and temporal characteristics, whereas lexical units denoting suffering are united by a negative emotional state while varying in psychological depth, persistence, and external manifestation. The analysis also reveals that emotional vocabulary reflects not only individual psychological experiences but also culturally embedded patterns of conceptualizing emotions. The study confirms that componential analysis is an effective method for identifying subtle semantic distinctions among synonymous and antonymous lexical units and contributes to a deeper understanding of emotional conceptualization in English semantics, lexicology, and cognitive linguistics.

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