THE ROLE OF PHYTONYMS IN THE ENRICHMENT OF VOCABULARY IN THE ENGLISH AND AZERBAIJANI LANGUAGES

Abstract

The significant role of plants in various spheres of human life has led to the prominence of words that name them – phytonyms in the vocabulary of the language. Like most lexical units, phytonyms are widely and diversely used in both English and Azerbaijani. The frequent use of these linguistic units in both languages demonstrates their importance within the active lexicon of English and Azerbaijani. As an onomastic unit, phytonyms participate in all the word-formation processes discussed in lexicology. In the languages that we investigate, we observe not only a large number of phytonyms due to the internal linguistic resources of these languages but also the frequent use of phytonyms in different contexts, including those borrowed from other languages. The primary reason for the inclusion of phytonyms from other languages is the introduction of a plant into a new environment where a specific term for it does not exist. Consequently, the phytonym used to name the plant is determined by the language of the people living in the geographical area to which the plant belongs. However, in some cases, there are local equivalents of these borrowed phytonyms, and these words are used in parallel within the language. Nevertheless, the formation of phytonyms in both languages primarily occurs through internal linguistic resources. Thus, these onomastic units, which can arise through all the methods available in lexicology, constitute an essential part of the lexical layer in both the English and Azerbaijani languages.