Аннотация
This paper provides a contrastive analysis of lexemes expressing the notion of debt in English, Russian, and Uzbek. While often viewed through an economic lens, the concept of debt also reflects deeper cultural meanings shaped by historical, legal, and moral traditions. The aim of the study is to explore semantic, pragmatic, and connotative nuances in words such as debt and obligation (English), долг and задолженность (Russian), and qarz and burch (Uzbek). A corpus-based and culturally grounded comparative method is employed to examine how these lexemes function within their respective linguistic and societal contexts. The analysis reveals that English primarily associates debt with financial and legal obligations, whereas Russian emphasizes moral and civic duty. In Uzbek, the terms not only relate to monetary transactions but also carry strong connotations of honor, dignity, and communal responsibility. These distinctions reflect varying worldviews and value systems embedded in language, offering insight into how linguistic structures mirror broader socio-cultural ideologies.