Abstract
This study investigates the functional and semantic characteristics of cosmonyms in Kazakh and English, based on a theoretical comparative analysis and empirical data. The research applies a methodological framework that includes a terminological audit of key concepts (cosmonym, astronym, mythologem, stellar onomastics), textological analysis of diverse sources (such as proverbs, myths, epics, and literature), and a sociolinguistic survey with both closed and open questions. The study highlights the two-layered nature of cosmonyms, which function as both nominative and symbolic units. In the Kazakh context, cosmonyms have practical and sacred roles, including navigation, calendar practices, and rituals, as well as representing cosmological oppositions like light/darkness and life/death. Within the surveyed sample, the empirical findings showed a 70% recognition rate for navigational cosmonyms, 60% for constellations with protective symbolism, and 45% for celestial “roads.” In contrast, in the analyzed English-language material, astral expressions were predominantly metaphorical, used in idioms and folklore to signify rarity, luck, and moral values. Recognition rates in English were 65% for rarity-related expressions, 50% for gratitude-based constructions, and 35% for metaphors of the “moral compass.” The study reveals universal features such as space sacralization and symbolic connections to fate, while also highlighting cultural distinctions: practical-ritual use in Kazakh and metaphorical-idiomatic use in English. The results may support the lexicographic description of the cultural and symbolic meanings of cosmonyms, improve the intercultural interpretation of celestial images, and inform semantic analysis tools designed to distinguish nominative, mythological, and idiomatic uses of astral vocabulary.