The Use of English Lexical Borrowings in Uzbek-language Telegram Communication: a Sociolinguistic Analysis of Student Group Chats
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This study investigates the use of English lexical borrowings in Uzbek-language Telegram group chats among university students, focusing on their frequency, communicative functions, and degree of integration into everyday digital discourse. A qualitative content analysis was conducted on naturally occurring student messages related to academic coordination, assignments, examinations, presentations, and online learning. The analysis identified recurrent English-origin items such as OK, online, link, deadline, exam, test, teacher, absent, PPT, and H/W, which were classified as academic vocabulary, digital terminology, interactional markers, and abbreviations. The findings show that these borrowings are primarily motivated by pragmatic efficiency, contextual familiarity, and the influence of academic and technological environments. Several items are morphologically integrated into Uzbek structures, indicating ongoing lexical conventionalization. The study concludes that English borrowing in Uzbek Telegram communication reflects functional adaptation to digitally mediated academic interaction rather than a simple shift toward English-dominant language use among contemporary Uzbek university student communities.
Author: Zakhro, Umarova
Language: Uzbek
Subfield: Language and Linguistics
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7172394972