The article examines the concept of «khizmat» within the context of the ethics of serving one’s parents in Tajik linguistic culture. It analyzes lexical, paremiological, and phraseological units that reflect the Tajik people's traditional views on the duty, respect, care, and spiritual gratitude children owe to their parents. The study draws upon literary texts as well as examples from the National Corpus of the Tajik Language (NKTYa). Particular attention is paid to the moral and axiological aspects of the concept of «khizmat» (service), which reveal distinctive features of the national mentality. It belongs to the category of value-based concepts, and values shape views, actions, goals, and attitudes toward the world around us. Value-related symbolism helps reflect the semantics of natural human language and reveals the distinctive features of a people's spiritual culture. This concept is also examined separately—as «khizmati padar» ("service to the father") and «khizmati modar» ("service to the mother")—which allows for a deeper exploration of the distinctions between them, highlights their specific cultural and ethical nuances, and explains why they hold varying degrees of moral significance within the traditional value system. Verses by various poets dedicated to serving one's parents are cited to reinforce the argument and underscore the traditional depth of these concepts.
the concept of "khizmat"; the ethics of servant parents; Tajik culture; linguacultural studies; mentality; value symbolism
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