The Interconnection Between Cognitive Linguistics, Cultural Semantics, and Lacuna Theory
Sherzod Latipov
Abstract. This study investigates the phenomenon of lacunas at the intersection of cognitive linguistics, cultural semantics, and translation studies, emphasizing the complex interplay between language, culture, and cognition. It analyzes Lakoff and Johnson’s conceptual metaphor theory, Langacker’s cognitive grammar, Fillmore’s frame semantics, and the cultural scripts model of Wierzbicka and Goddard, alongside lacuna theory as proposed by Sorokin, Markovina, and Sternin. Using Uzbek and English lexical examples, such as mahalla versus “neighbourhood,” the study demonstrates that lacunas arise not merely from the absence of lexical equivalents but from deeper conceptual and cultural asymmetries between languages. The conceptosphere framework is employed to explain how concepts, metaphors, frames, and cultural scripts are organized within a linguistic community, revealing the sources of linguistic, linguacultural, and pragmatic gaps. The research concludes that lacunas should be regarded as analytical tools that illuminate cultural values and cognitive structures, offering insights for translation, intercultural communication, and theoretical linguistics.
Keywords: Lacuna, Conceptual Metaphor, cognitive grammar, frame semantics, cultural scripts, Conceptosphere, linguoculturology, cross-cultural communication, Translation Studies, Uzbek–English Comparison