Tilga ixtiyorsiz — elga e'tiborsiz.
“One who is careless of the tongue is careless of the nation.”
A widely cited aphorism of the classical Uzbek/Chagatai poet Alisher Navoi (1441-1501): neglecting one's own language is, in effect, neglecting the wellbeing and dignity of one's own people.
— Alisher Navoi, Uzbekistan
Source: Attributed to Alisher Navoi (1441-1501); recorded among his aphorisms on the n.ziyouz.com "Alisher Navoiy hikmatlari" (Alisher Navoi's wise sayings) portal and widely cited across Uzbek-language cultural and educational sources
More Proverbs from Uzbekistan
A guest is more honored than one's own father.
Hospitality is a paramount value; a guest deserves the very highest respect a household can give.
Measure seven times, cut once.
Think carefully and check your work many times before taking an action that cannot be undone.
Wisdom is not in age, but in the mind.
Good judgment comes from a person's intellect and character, not simply from how many years they have lived.
A true friend is known in times of hardship.
Real friendship reveals itself when a person actually needs help, not during easy, comfortable times.
One's homeland is a golden cradle.
No matter how modest, one's own homeland offers a comfort and belonging that nowhere else can replace.
Better to be a beggar in your own land than a king in a foreign one.
Belonging and home matter more than status or power gained far away from one's own roots and people.