Uzbekistan Proposes New Uzbek Terms to Replace Loanwords

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan's Terms Commission under the Cabinet of Ministers has prepared a list of 41 new words and terms developed in accordance with the norms of the Uzbek language for official use, the Academy of Sciences said.

The proposed terminology covers a range of fields, including information technology, medicine, energy, construction, culture and tourism. Uzbek-language equivalents have been suggested for a number of foreign loanwords for use in regulatory documents and official administration.

The list includes words borrowed from English, French, Russian, Latin, Greek, Japanese, Italian and Scandinavian languages.

Among the proposed changes, the commission recommends replacing "brand" with "xosnom", "deadline" with "so‘ngmuddat", "webinar" with "vebyig‘in", "braces" with "tishsim", "emoji" with "hisbelgi", "hashtag" with "kalitso‘z", "hostel" with "qo‘noquy", and "freelancer" with "erkin ishchi".

The commission also proposed new Uzbek abbreviations for several technical terms. For example, the abbreviation ASKUE is proposed to be replaced with EHNAT (Energiya hisobi va nazoratining avtomatlashtirilgan tizimi), while UAV is proposed to be replaced with UHA (Uchuvchisiz havo apparati).

The list also includes the term "boshmoq" as the Uzbek equivalent of the word "bashmak". The Academy of Sciences said the Russian word was originally borrowed from Turkic languages. In addition to footwear, the term is also used in technical fields to refer to various metal and other structural components.

According to the Academy, introducing the new terminology is expected to standardise professional vocabulary, expand the use of the Uzbek language in scientific, legal and administrative fields, and reduce inconsistencies in legislation and official documentation.

The Academy noted that similar work is carried out on a continuous basis under the 2020–2030 Concept for the Development of the Uzbek Language and the Improvement of Language Policy. In July 2025, Uzbek-language equivalents for 40 foreign words were also proposed for official use.