Conceptualization of Parents in the Kazakh Culture: Ethnopsycholinguistic Study

Cultural values, comprising socially formed beliefs and standards, govern individuals within a specific group’s behavior and are seen as an essential component of a society’s identity, frequently reflecting long-standing practices, traditions, and ideas. Family is regarded as the main foundation of many societies and cultures, in which parents are regarded as protectors, caretakers of children and are treated with great respect. The purpose of our study is to describe the conceptualization of parents in the linguistic consciousness of the Kazakh language and culture bearers and define the ethnic content of the value ата-ана / parents in the Kazakh linguistic culture. The study employed a complex of methods including lexicographic, linguistic, content, and cognitive analysis, as well as the word association test among 563 Kazakh language and culture bearers. The research data comprised dictionaries of the Kazakh language, Kazakh paroemia and aphorisms, and association responses. The results showed that parents are conceptualized as loving and caring beloved family members, which upbringing is very important for their children, and have a great value such as wealth and gift in the Kazakh linguistic culture. The study findings will contribute to a more in-depth knowledge of the concept under consideration and its function in Kazakh society from a psycholinguistic standpoint. The practical value of the research findings can be seen in effective cross-cultural relationships and the utilization of study materials in linguistic courses. Keywords: linguistic consciousness, Kazakh culture, parents, value, conceptualization.