1. Extreme linguistic conversion of legal English: copied directly from "form books"(法典) y5 ]! c1 e/ A9 f
2. Unbroken format in early legal documents: no spaces provided (to avoid fadulent deletions and additions)
6 b# ~6 [2 n1 C 3. The use of graphological devices as a means of revealing structure, content and logical progression: eg. an important word capitalized or underlined.& V/ k% X |5 S# [7 V
4. The dearth of punctuation to prevent forgery.% L) `& o, D* p$ u5 e
5. Legal documents composed as one very long sentence - no question of sentence linkage, except:4 A" E3 k- R6 _2 O V- n+ r2 x
- the repetition of lexical items.% |2 N( B8 ]$ k. E- R
- substitute words not tolerated: eg. he, she, it, they(pronoun reference); do; this, that(anaphora)
, {" [- l% D6 x {+ R 6. Legal English contains only complete major sentences: eg. statements, no question, occasional commands.4 l' d6 I; t$ \
7. Legal sentences have an underlying logical structure: "if X, then Z shall be (do) Y" - "if X" = conditional/ concessive adverbial clauses:
8 s/ v9 @3 U; G( H. i eg: co-ordinated adverbials: on the expiration …… or on the previous death ……/ subject to any authorized endorsement …… and to the production……
1 o' Q" `) g# W8 { 8. Written legal English contains nominal group structures (eg: post-modification in the nominal groups):eg. any insstalment then remaining unpaid, hereinbefore reserved and agreed to be paid during the term.2 D1 D2 c8 C, \2 @- K8 Q
9. Adjectives and intensifying adverbs are almost completely absent:
3 y" R9 r' e' t3 y$ s' q8 k eg: splendid, wise, disgusting, happy(adjectives) ; very, rather(intensifying adverbs)
: P! u \: K8 e9 Q1 z$ D3 J 10. Nouns modified by structures of post-modification are "abstract": eg. declaration, conditions, termination, stipulation, possession: k8 \0 s: u0 m( g7 \
11. Verbal groups are of the type: modal auxiliary (shall) + be + past participle : shall is used to express what is to be the obligatory consequence of a legal decision, and not simply as a marker of future tense.
7 t, n5 z; u% R+ L" l" N 12. Preference for archai words and phrases:) P6 K" u5 i) Z1 S& u' Z2 D
eg: duly, deemed, expiration, terminated (words); term of years, upon the death of (collocations); made and signed, terms and conditions, able and willing (synonymns are coordianted: native English and borrowed French terms for the same referent)3 b2 b5 k9 J( l' ?# @8 H% @7 W% ^
13. There is a large French and Latin element in English legal vocabulary, eg: proposal, effect, society, asurance, insured, schedule, duly, signed, agreeing, policy, subject, rules, form, terms, conditions, date, entrace, accepted (French origins); bais, table, declaration, registered, stated, part (Latin origins). |