TABOO LANGUAGE IN PILGRIMAGE TEXTS OF THE SURKHANDARYA REGION

This article investigates the linguistic realization of taboo language in pilgrimage-related texts from the Surkhandarya region of Uzbekistan. Pilgrimage discourse reflects a strong interaction between language, belief, and cultural tradition. Certain concepts are considered sensitive or sacred and therefore avoided or indirectly expressed. The present study aims to identify taboo-related expressions in pilgrimage texts and to analyze their sociocultural and pragmatic functions. The analysis shows that taboo language in these texts is mainly associated with death, illness, supernatural forces, and sacred personalities. Indirect speech and euphemistic expressions serve to maintain reverence, regulate communicative behavior, and preserve cultural values.