Linguistic Features of Military Discourse in Official Texts: A Comparative Analysis of English and Uzbek
Abstract
Military discourse represents a highly specialized form of institutional communication where clarity, precision, and authority are vital for operational effectiveness. Official documents such as field manuals and statutes, including the U.S. Army Field Manual FM 3-21.8 and Uzbek military regulations, exemplify the dual-functional style of military texts, combining official-business and scientific-technical linguistic features. Despite its importance, comparative studies examining the stylistic, lexical, and morphological features of English and Uzbek military discourse remain limited, particularly in translation contexts. This study aims to investigate the linguistic characteristics of military communication in both English and Uzbek texts to identify shared and divergent features influencing translation and intercultural communication. Findings reveal a consistent use of monosemantic terminology, avoidance of synonyms, and exclusion of emotive language in both languages. Imperative and infinitive verb forms, passive constructions, impersonal directives, standardized abbreviations, and abstract nouns dominate the discourse, ensuring unambiguous communication. English military texts demonstrate heavier reliance on acronyms and passive voice, while Uzbek discourse retains Soviet-era influences in terminology and structural formulations. The research highlights the integration of official-business and scientific-technical styles in shaping military discourse, offering a rare comparative insight into English and Uzbek military linguistic practices. These findings underscore the necessity for specialized translator training programs focusing on terminology management, stylistic analysis, and intercultural sensitivity. They also provide a linguistic foundation for enhancing interoperability in multinational military operations and improving translation pedagogy in defense-related contexts.
References
N. Mahkamov, Adabiy norma va pleonazm [Literary norm and pleonasm]. Fan, 1988.
J. P. Gee, An Introduction to Discourse Analysis: Theory and Method, 3rd изд. Routledge, 2010.
M. Yuldashev, «Badiiy matnning lingvopoetik tadqiqi [Linguopoetic analysis of literary text]», PhD Thesis, Tashkent, 2009.
J. P. Gee, How to Do Discourse Analysis. Routledge, 2010.
R. Sayfullayeva и others, Hozirgi o‘zbek adabiy tili [Modern Uzbek literary language]. Fan va texnologiyalar, 2010.
M. Mukarramov, Hozirgi o‘zbek adabiy tilining ilmiy uslubi [Scientific style of modern Uzbek literary language]. Fan, 1984.
D. Khudoyberganova, Lingvistik uslublar va nutq uslubi. Tashkent: Fan, 2013.
D. Khudoyberganova, Matnning antropotsentrik tadqiqi: Monografiya [Anthropocentric analysis of text: A monograph]. Fan, 2013.
A. Mahkamov, Military Terminology in English-Uzbek Translation. Tashkent: Military Publishing House, 2013.
T. Qudratov, Nutq madaniyati va uslubiyat asoslari [Speech culture and basics of stylistics]. O‘qituvchi, 1993.
A. I. Moiseyev, «O yazykovoy prirode termina [On the linguistic nature of the term]», в Lingvisticheskie problemy nauchno-tekhnicheskoy terminologii, Moscow, 1970.
N. Mahmudov и others, O‘zbek tilida ish yuritish [Official writing in Uzbek]. O‘qituvchi, 1990.
S. O. Boymirzayeva, «O‘zbek tilida matnning kommunikativ-pragmatik mazmunini shakllantiruvchi kategoriyalar [Categories forming the communicative-pragmatic meaning of text in Uzbek]», PhD Thesis, Tashkent, 2010.
N. Mahkamov, O‘zbek tilshunosligi terminlarining izohli lug‘ati [Explanatory dictionary of Uzbek linguistics terms]. Fan, 2013.
S. Chapman и B. Clark, «Pragmatic Literary Stylistics», в Pragmatic Literary Stylistics, Palgrave Macmillan UK, 2014, сс. 16–35.
S. Eyeh, «Semiotics and the interpretation of meanings in literary texts», Ife Stud. Afr. Lit. Arts, т. 6, вып. 3, с. 145, 2011.
I. V. Arnold, Stylistics of Modern English. Moscow: Flinta, 2005.
L. Hickey, «Stylistics, pragmatics and pragmastylistics», Rev. Belge Philol. D’histoire Belg. Rev. Philol. Hist., т. 71, сс. 573–586, 1993.
R. Salkie, Text and Discourse Analysis. Routledge, 2001.
Headquarters, Department of the Army, «The Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad», Headquarters, Department of the Army, FM 3-21.8, 2007. [Онлайн]. Доступно на: https://www.bits.de/NRANEU/others/amd-us-archive/fm3-21.8(07).pdf
N. Mahmudov, «Tilning mukammal tadqiqi yo‘llarini izlab... [In search of a perfect study of language]», O‘zbek Tili Va Adab., вып. 5, с. 10, 2012.
