LINGUISTIC NATURE OF HASHTAGS IN THE UZBEK SOCIAL MEDIA SEGMENT: GRAPHIC AND SEMANTIC ANALYSIS

Abstract

This article explores the linguistic status of hashtags within the digital landscape of the modern Uzbek language. As social media platforms (Telegram, Instagram, Facebook) become primary communication channels, the hashtag (#) has evolved from a mere technical search tool into a significant linguistic unit. The study analyzes the graphic transformation of Uzbek words through hashtags, focusing on the "economy of language" principle and the emergence of "CamelCase" formatting in Uzbek script. Furthermore, the research categorizes hashtags based on their semantic and pragmatic functions—nominative, expressive, and ironic. The findings suggest that hashtags are functioning as a new type of "digital punctuation" that influences the syntactic structure of modern Uzbek virtual discourse.