CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CONCEPTS "GOOD" AND "EVIL" IN THE RUSSIAN AND UZBEK LANGUAGES

Abstract

This article presents a comparative linguocultural study of the concepts "good" and "evil" in the Russian and Uzbek languages. The concepts "good" (*dobro* / *yaxshilik*) and "evil" (*zlo* / *yomonlik*) are examined as key axiological categories that define the value orientations and moral attitudes of speakers within these respective linguocultures. Drawing on dictionary definitions, phraseological units, paremias, and data from associative experiments, the study identifies both universal and culture-specific features in the representation of these concepts. Particular attention is paid to the religious-philosophical foundations of these concepts within the Russian (Christian anthropology) and Uzbek (Sufi tradition) cultural paradigms. The research findings demonstrate that, while universal human values underpin the understanding of good and evil, each linguoculture shapes its own system of moral coordinates, which is reflected in language, folklore, and national consciousness.