This article examines the argumentative potential of proverbs as precedent units through a comparative linguopragmatic analysis of English and Uzbek proverbs with negative connotations. Particular attention is paid to their axiological, warning, argumentative, mitigating, indirect critical, and socio-normative functions in discourse. The study employs descriptive, contextual, linguopragmatic, comparative, and axiological methods of analysis. The findings demonstrate that negatively connoted proverbs enhance argumentative force by connecting an individual speaker’s position with collective experience and culturally established values. The study also identifies common and culture-specific features in the pragmatic functioning of English and Uzbek proverbs and demonstrates their importance as cultural-cognitive and argumentative instruments in communication.

proverb, precedent unit, argumentative discourse, negative connotation, linguopragmatics, axiology, social norm, pragmatic function.

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