KURS ISHI

INTRODUCTION . In the context of Uzbekistan’s integration into the global information landscape, the mastery of precise English vocabulary, particularly neologisms and productivity patterns, is paramount for students and professionals. For instance, the number of English language learners in Uzbekistan reached 2.5 million in 2023, representing a 25% increase from 2020, as reported by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation [1]. Furthermore, the volume of English language content consumed and produced in Uzbekistan, including academic publications and digital media, has increased by an estimated 30% annually over the last three years, highlighting the pervasive need for precise lexical understanding and production [2]. The economic impact of improved English proficiency is also substantial, with studies indicating that better language skills can increase an individual's earning potential by 10-15% in various sectors [3]. Despite the evident importance of morphological productivity in English, the specific challenges related to the affix '-ize' and its acquisition among Uzbek learners remain largely unaddressed in the local pedagogical context. The rapid emergence of neologisms formed with '-ize' in various domains, from technology (e.g., *digitize*, *hybridize*) to social sciences (e.g., *standardize*, *contextualize*), presents significant hurdles for non-native speakers in achieving semantic transparency and avoiding allomorphy-related errors. While global trends indicate a sustained productivity of '-ize' in creating new verbs, with estimates suggesting thousands of new '-ize' words entering common usage over the past two decades [4], the nuanced understanding of its derivational potential, semantic range, and pragmatic usage is often overlooked in traditional English language instruction in Uzbekistan. The derivational affix '-ize' has attracted significant attention from international scholars, contributing to a robust body of linguistic research. Bauer (1983) extensively analyzed derivational morphology in English, categorizing '-ize' as a highly productive suffix responsible for forming verbs from adjectives and nouns, often denoting a change of state or creation [5]. Marchand (1969) provided a foundational historical overview of English word-formation, tracing the etymology and semantic evolution of suffixes like '-ize' and highligh ...