THE ROLE OF LOW-PRODUCTIVITY WORD-FORMATION METHODS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORTS TERMINOLOGY IN ENGLISH AND UZBEK

Abstract

This article explores the role of low-productivity word-formation methods in the development of terminology and neologisms in the field of Physical Education and Sports (PES) in English and Uzbek. While productive processes such as affixation and compounding dominate lexical expansion, less productive mechanisms - including phonological formation, etymology, coinage, blending, clipping, back-formation, conversion, and multiple processes - also contribute significantly to the enrichment of sports vocabulary. Through a comparative linguistic analysis, the study identifies structural, functional, and semantic features of these processes in both languages. The findings reveal that English demonstrates a higher reliance on conversion and clipping, whereas Uzbek exhibits greater flexibility in integrating borrowed elements through multiple processes. The study highlights the importance of low-productivity methods in reflecting cultural, historical, and communicative dynamics within sports discourse.