ETYMOLOGICAL LAYERS OF INCANTATION TERMINOLOGY: THE FUNCTIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF ARABIC–PERSIAN BORROWINGS AND TURKIC ROOTS

Abstract

This thesis investigates the diachronic and functional stratification of incantation terminology in Uzbek with reference to broader Turkic, Arabic, and Persian sources. While the lexicon of ritual speech in Central Asia is historically multilingual, its components do not overlap randomly: Arabic–Persian borrowings tend to encode doctrinally sanctioned acts, metaphysical categories, and the prestige registers of sacred discourse, whereas Turkic roots more often index vernacular protection, everyday ritual practice, and pragmatic action. Using etymological dictionaries, historical corpora, and close readings of folklore materials, the study traces semantic zones such as supplication, blessing, curse, gaze-aversion, and enchantment, and examines how morphological and phonotactic markers signal register and authority. The findings suggest a stable functional distribution: Arabic items like duo (duʿāʾ), sehr (siḥr), and nazar co-occur with formalized performatives and learned genres; Persian elements such as afsāna and tilsim fill narrative and instrumentality niches; Turkic items including qarg‘ish, ko‘z tegmoq, dilek/tilak, and shamanic titles pattern with local ritual pragmatics. The paper argues that this stratification is reproduced in modern media and pedagogy, shaping how speakers perceive efficacy, legitimacy, and the social indexicality of “magical” speech.