LINGUOCULTURAL CONCEPTUALIZATION OF “DEBT” AND “OBLIGATION” IN KAZAKH AND ENGLISH: A COMPARATIVE STUDY
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Keywords:
debt, obligation, Kazakh worldview, English culture, moral responsibility, social norms, intercultural communicationAbstract
This study delves into the linguocultural features of the terms "debt" and "obligation" in Kazakh and English cultural models. It investigates how debt and obligation as concepts are built on the basis of anchoring moral values, social practices, and local history, particular to the specific culture. Despite debt and obligation being universal concepts, their meanings demonstrate extreme cultural specificity and represent various worldviews and moral requirements. Qaryz (debt) and paryz (obligation) in Kazakh tradition are very tightly connected with collective identity, social solidarity, and robust family and neighborhood bonds. They are the pillars of social norms of solidarity, generosity, and communal harmony.
In contrast, in English-speaking cultures, debt and obligation can be equated with personal responsibility, legal obligation, and contractual duty. English language terminology is individualistic in nature, putting stress on personal duty, rights, and autonomy rather than collective duty. This current study uses comparative semantic and contextual analysis to explore how such culturally embedded models are encoded in language and how they influence behavior and expectations in interpersonal relationships across various sociocultural contexts. The results enhance our knowledge of cross-cultural communication and the role of language in representing moral and social norms.
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