Lexical units pertaining to sports in modern Tajik and Russian represent a dynamically developing subsystem that requires comprehensive linguistic investigation. The relevance of this study is driven by the intensive expansion of this lexicon, necessitating an examination of its derivational potential and systemic organization, including the identification of dominant word-formation models. Particular attention in the context of globalization is paid to the processes of adaptation and assimilation of foreign-language terms, as determining the degree of their integration into the general language and terminological subsystems allows for an assessment of the overall development vector of the terminology. This phenomenon in the Russian language has been studied by scholars such as Gynin, Medetova, Gureeva, and Klimas, among others [2,9-11]. A comprehensive study of the composition and structure of these designations, along with a description of the features of their functioning in various discursive practices, is a crucial prerequisite for a holistic characterization of terminology development dynamics in the contemporary language. While in Russian linguistics this issue has been addressed by numerous researchers and modern neologism dictionaries exist, the situation in Tajik is somewhat different. In Tajik, only a few works are dedicated to this lexical layer [3,8], with comparative studies [7,12]. From a comparative perspective, the structural-semantic and word-formation characteristics of the Tajik sports lexicon remain under-researched, leaving a gap in understanding the interplay between meaning development, polysemy, and homonymy within this linguistic subsystem.

This study aims to fill this gap by exploring the mechanisms of semantic expansion, focusing on the processes of polysemy and homonymy, and by highlighting the cross-linguistic similarities and divergences in the Tajik and Russian sports lexicons.

Theoretical Premises of Polysemy and Semantic Transfer

Linguistic research demonstrates a direct correlation between the frequency of a lexical unit's use and its propensity to develop polysemy. A word's productivity in communication naturally leads to the expansion of its semantic field.

Under conditions of modern globalization and intensive discourse, lexemes denoting different spheres of life and activity acquire new meanings. Linguistic dictionaries of the 20th–21st centuries document the phenomenon of cross-domain semantic interference, whereby the semantic structure of a unit is enriched through the transfer of meanings from other professional fields. In particular, the widespread penetration of sports discourse into media space and the public sphere has led to the secondary terminologization of a number of words: meanings originally belonging to sports are successfully metaphorized, permeating and becoming entrenched in such specialized domains as military, political, agricultural, and journalistic vocabulary. This phenomenon attests to the broad dissemination of sports terminology and its capacity to serve as a source of new linguistic units in both Tajik and Russian.

These processes are further supported by corpus-based evidence, as data from the Corpus of the Modern Tajik Language demonstrate the stable expansion of sports lexemes into non-sport discursive contexts [13].

Cross-Domain Metaphorical Transfer as a Key Mechanism

From Sports to General and Specialized Discourses

Sports terminology is an active source of metaphorical transfers in both Tajik and Russian. It enriches the lexical fund and creates new imagery in media and political discourse.

For example, Pahlavon: 1. Strong, powerful, brave. 2. Wrestler. 3. A lazy glutton, a person who avoids [6].

Chempion - Champion: 1. An athlete who has become the winner of a competition; the hero/winner of a tournament. 2. A sports team that has taken first place in a tournament; the champion team of a tournament [6]. 3. A variety of apple tree.

Contextual example: "In the intensive apple orchard, 30 varieties of apple tree seedlings have been planted, including Novella, Darya, Erlimak, Redfree, Dayton, Prima, Florina, Liberty, Goldrush, Champion, Pinova, Fuji, Granny Smith, etc." [9].

Final: 1. (sports) The final part of sports competitions where the winner is determined. 2. End, conclusion, finale; the concluding part of something [6].

In Russian, similar examples demonstrate metaphorical extension:

Tramplin - Springboard: 1. A sports device or structure (e.g., a raised board with or without springs) from which one pushes off with a run for a jump. A jump from a springboard. Ski jump. 2. (fig.) A starting point for some actions (bookish). A springboard for further reasoning. Adj. tramplinny, pertaining to the first meaning [5].

Tolchok - Push/Jolt: 1. In sports: a movement used to push something (e.g., a shot, a barbell) or to push off from something. A push with the hand, foot. 4. (fig.) That which causes something, prompts something. A jolt to work. To give a jolt to something (to prompt the start of some action). Adj. tolchkovy, pertaining to the 2nd and 3rd meanings (special). The push-off leg (the leg that gives the push at the start of a run, jump) [5].

These examples confirm that sports terminology is an active source of metaphorical transfers in both Tajik and Russian. It enriches the lexical fund and creates new imagery in media and political discourse.

The figurative meanings of Russian sports terms illustrated above are also fixed in contemporary lexicographic practice, including authoritative reference resources such as Gramota.ru [14].

Reverse Transfer: From Other Domains to Sports

Furthermore, a reverse process is observed in the languages under consideration: lexemes originally belonging to other spheres acquire meanings related to sports. For example:

Muboriza - Struggle: War between two sides, battle; effort for one's rights, idea, goal, and work by any means: economic struggle, ideological struggle, class struggle; to wage a struggle, to fight [6]. The second meaning of this word ("struggle until the last breath (sports). Struggle for victory in a competition (public.)"), used in the sports sphere, is not noted in the Explanatory Dictionary of the Tajik Language.

Dastgiri - Support/Handle I: 1. The verbal noun from "to hold by the hand". 2. Help, aid, assistance; to give support a) to render aid, to help, to come to someone's assistance; b) (fig.) To approve and follow a course of action, to support someone.

 Dastgiri - Handle II: To serve as a handle, to be situated like a handle [6].

Taktika - Tactic: 1. A component of military art—the theory and practice of preparing and conducting battle. Strategy and tactics. 2. The general plan for preparing and conducting a battle, military operations. 3. (fig.) A set of means and techniques to achieve a set goal. Election campaign tactics. Chess tactics. Adj. taktichesky, tactical [6].

Legioner - Legionnaire: 1. A warrior, soldier of a legion. 2. An athlete playing under contract for a foreign sports club [5]. In Tajik, although this word was not found in the Explanatory Dictionary of the Tajik Language, it is often used in the media in the second meaning—a foreign athlete playing for a club or team of another country.

Contextual example: "The Tajik national team squad includes 23 players, 7 of whom are legionnaires" [2].

Comparative Analysis: The Lexemes "field/arena" [6] and "field" [5]

The lexeme field in the Tajik language is a multi-layered phenomenon intertwining spatial, activity-related, and metaphorical meanings. Originating from Persian "square, arena, field", it initially denoted an open area for gatherings, games, duels, or labor. However, in the process of historical development, it has acquired a broad cognitive-semantic potential. In modern usage, field functions on several levels: as a physical space (city square, football field, wrestling arena); as a metaphor for social action (field of activity, to enter the field, to begin acting); and as an abstract or spiritual space (field of thought, field of the heart, and field of knowledge).

In Tajik, field represents a universal model of an action space where human activity, will, thought, and feeling are manifested. A comparison with the Russian word field reveals both similarities and divergences: if in the Russian consciousness field is more often associated with nature, agricultural labor, peace, and freedom, the Tajik field is linked to energy, movement, struggle, and publicity—it always presupposes the presence of a subject and action. The proverb "The arena belongs to the brave" encapsulates the core meaning of this lexeme: the space of life opens only to those who dare to enter it. On a cognitive level, field serves as a universal schema connecting physical, mental, and spiritual dimensions: life is a field where a person struggles and grows; the mind is a field where ideas are born; the spirit is a field where purification occurs. In poetic and philosophical discourse, field transforms into a symbol of existential presence, where thought, action, and being merge into one.

Thus, this lexeme reflects a key feature of the Tajik linguistic worldview—the perception of life as a field for manifesting will, courage, and creativity, where the word does not exist without action, and action does not exist without the inner light of consciousness.

The Russian word field demonstrates how semantic derivation sequentially affects several professional fields, transitioning from a concrete meaning to a series of more abstract terms.

Original meaning – "treeless plain, space". For example, "ice field". Also: a large, level area, space specially equipped or intended for something; open, undeveloped, level territory; cultivated land. For example, "football field" [5] (denotation of physical space).

In physics – A metaphorical transfer based on the idea of "space where something acts/exerts influence". A spatial region at each point of which the action of some force is manifested. For example: "electromagnetic field", "gravitational field", "field of complex numbers".

In mathematics – "An algebraic structure in which operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division are defined". An element of a record (structure, database table) intended for storing a specific data type.

In linguistics – "A set of linguistic units united by a common semantic feature (seme)". For example, Semantic field, Lexico-semantic field of color.

Thus, the lexeme field demonstrates a classic example of multi-stage polysemy development: from physical territory → to a force spatial region (physics) → to an algebraic structure (mathematics) → to a conceptual system (linguistics).

A comparative analysis of the lexemes field (Russian) and field (Tajik) shows that, despite a common initial semantics of "open space," they represent different cognitive-cultural models. The Russian field preserves an agrarian-natural archetype—a space of earth, labor, and peace, forming a concept of internal, contemplative being. The Tajik field, conversely, realizes an arena-activity model, conceptualizing space as an arena for action, struggle, and self-manifestation of the individual. Therefore, field reflects an ontology of creation, whereas field reflects an ontology of manifestation, demonstrating a difference in mental strategies of human interaction with space in the two linguocultures.

This confirms the thesis that semantic derivation can be a trans-discursive phenomenon, where each new professional meaning acts as an intermediary for the next transfer.

Based on lexicographic data, sports terminology does not merely fix concepts but also serves as a source for meaning expansion. In other words, specialized sports terms often transition into general usage, acquiring new, figurative meanings (i.e., they develop polysemy). This means that sport acts as an active linguistic environment, constantly replenishing the vocabulary with new meanings.

For example:

Mot - Checkmate: 1) (sports) A position in chess where the king has no legal move, which is a sign of defeat by the opponent; loss in a chess game (checkmate). 2) Confused, helpless [6].

Boy. boy dodan - to lose, be defeated, surrender, be captured; also: to be deprived of something, to lose something (e.g., money in gambling) [6]. Examples of idiomatic usage:

• enrich your heart: a) to become frightened, alarmed; b) to fall in love with someone, to be captivated by love for someone;
• enriching the work - to lose an opportunity, to fail in a task;
• not to be secretive: to keep one's innermost feelings hidden, to conceal one's inner state;
• to enrich oneself: a) to be at a loss what to do out of fear and alarm; b) to become ruined, exhausted (the opposite of self-pity-to pull oneself together); c) to lose self-control; to lose consciousness;
• Nothing rich: to suffer no harm; not missing anything: to lose nothing [6].

Pilband - a type of chess move where two pawns are placed behind a bishop to block the approach of an opponent's piece) [6]. Usage: to tie - a) to checkmate by means of a bishop move; b) (fig.) to defeat [6].

In Russian, examples can include words such as start, finish, etc.

Start: 1. The initial moment of a sports competition. 2. (fig.) The beginning of any undertaking, action. 3. (fig., colloq.) The signal for the start of a sports competition. 4. The place from which a sports competition over a distance begins [4].

Finish: 1. The final, decisive part of speed sports competitions. 2. A certain distance before the final point of a sports competition (in races). 3. The endpoint of the distance in such competitions, marked. 4. The end, completion of something [5].

Contextual examples: "The work is approaching the finish line. That's it, this is the end of our relationship!" [3].

Polysemy in Sports Terminology

Polysemy plays a key role in the formation of nests of related words in sports vocabulary, as derivative words are often formed from the main word used in its specific meaning. For example, from the lexeme debut (1. The name for the opening of chess and draughts games. 2. A first appearance somewhere (of an actor – on stage or in a film, an athlete – in competitions, etc.). 3. The beginning of work in a field [5]) the derivative lexeme debut correlates specifically with the first, sports-related meaning.

In the modern language, polysemy is rapidly developing even within the sports terminology sphere itself. In the "Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language of the 21st Century. Current Vocabulary," the label "Sports." is present in the meanings of words like round, dribbling, knockout, agent. For example, double as a professional term is represented by three current meanings: 1. In football, hockey: two goals scored by one player during a match. 2. Two victories by an athlete or club in different types of competitions. 3. A backup team [1].

Marathon [5]: 1. A running race of 42 km 195 m; generally, a sports competition over the longest distance or lasting an extended period. 2. (fig.) A long and intense course of development of something, a long and intense chess match, election marathon, TV marathon [5], or the same word champion in Tajik: 1. An athlete who has become the winner of a competition; the hero/winner of a tournament. 2. A sports team that has taken first place in a tournament [6]. Badminton playing: 1) playing badminton; 2) pertaining to playing badminton; the activity of badminton players [6].

The formation of independent meanings is primarily a consequence of term differentiation, when the same linguistic unit begins to function in various professional contexts. In most cases, it is the sports vocabulary that becomes demarcated from terms used in other spheres.

Harak 1: (Sports.) A long-necked animal used for equestrian exercises [6].

Harak 2: A small bone or wooden tool placed on the bowl of a tanbur or dutor over which the strings pass [6].

Boxing 1: (Sports.) "A sport: a martial art – fist fighting in special boxing gloves" [5].

Boxing 2: "A men's haircut with short-cropped temples and back of the head. strizhka pod boks (box cut)" [5].

Homonymy and Derivational Processes

Just like polysemy, homonymy activates derivational processes in the modern Russian language, leading to the rapid "overgrowth" of in-demand nouns with derived lexemes [2]. For example, Scout 1, from Scout 'a public movement engaged in extracurricular education of children and adolescents through nature exploration, crafts, and games; representatives of this movement' [1], has the derivatives Scouting, Scouting, scout 1, adj. The "budded-off" sports term Scout 2 'a specialist in selecting (hiring) players for a sports club' [1] also received the derivative scout 2, adj., sports. Thus, secondary homonymy of derived words has arisen. Secondary homonymy is noted in the word-formation clusters of both native Russian lexical units (guest 1, guest 2/ travel) and recent borrowings (surfer 1, surfer 2; surfing 1, surfing 2) [2].

The interconnection between homonymy and polysemy in the sphere of sports terms is confirmed by the use of single-root synonyms as definitions for both polysemous lexemes and homonyms. For example: Surfing 1: (Sports.) 'A type of water sport – sliding on the crest of a wave on a special board without bindings; surf (2nd meaning)' [1].

One can note the development of antonymy based on isolated homonyms. For example, guest 2/ travel (gostevoy2 / safari - away, adj.) (Sports.) 'away match' as an antonym: opposite of home 2/ home (domashniy2 / xonagi - home, adj.).

The sports terminology of the Tajik and Russian languages at the beginning of the 21st century represents one of the most dynamically developing and open lexico-semantic systems. The semantic processes driving its evolution are marked by the intensive development of polysemy and homonymy. These lexicological classes exhibit interconnectedness and mutual conditioning, not only with each other but also with other lexical phenomena. The emergence of polysemy and homonymy is frequently observed across different terminological systems, a phenomenon explained by language's inherent drive to clarify meanings and ensure the semantic autonomy of lexemes. The specific models and types of meaning transfer characteristic of this sphere are of particular scientific interest. A clear differentiation of these models is observable, depending on whether the semantic structure of a lexeme is formed exclusively within the framework of sports discourse or incorporates extra-systemic, common-usage components. Active semantic processes directly stimulate and activate the derivational potential of sports terminology. A consequence of this is a significant acceleration in the pace of word formation, which enriches both the specialized and general literary language.

Abbreviations

LSP: Lexico-Semantic Field

Author Contributions

Ikromzoda Khaiyom Ikrom: Conceptualization, Resources, Writing – Original Draft, Writing – Review & Editing.

Conflicts of Interest

The author declares no conflicts of interest.

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