THE SEMANTIC AND GRAMMATICAL DYNAMICS OF REALIS AND IRREALIS IN ENGLISH AND UZBEK

Abstract

This thesis explores the comparative analysis of realis and irrealis categories in English and Uzbek, focusing on the grammatical structures and semantic features that distinguish these categories. Through a detailed examination of linguistic materials, the study identifies the specific grammatical indicators used in different word classes within these two languages. While the realis/irrealis indicators and their determination methods pose challenges within a single language, it is observed that similar grammeme-forming devices exist at various levels of grammar across languages. The analysis reveals how modal auxiliaries like “can” and “may” in English express overlapping yet distinct meanings, such as ability and permission, while also noting differences in usage and grammaticalization. The study also highlights the presence of realis and irrealis markers not only in verbs but also in other parts of speech, such as adverbs, conjunctions, and suffixes in Uzbek. It addresses the complex and controversial nature of the irrealis category in modern grammatical typology, referencing key studies in the field. The research further explores how the interplay between realis and irrealis categories manifests in different linguistic structures, contributing to a better understanding of these grammatical categories across languages. By considering various contexts—imperative, future tense, and negation—the study concludes that realis and irrealis indicators are not isolated, but rather interdependent, and their semantic interpretations vary significantly across different languages. Ultimately, the thesis advocates for a distinct semantic field for the irrealis category, separate from realis, suggesting that these categories are dynamic and often context-dependent, reflecting broader grammatical, lexical, and syntactic relationships. Through cross-linguistic comparisons, this work contributes to the broader understanding of how grammatical categories related to reality and unreality function in diverse languages.