1. Extreme linguistic conversion of legal English: copied directly from "form books"(法典)4 ~ ~4 D- N1 t2 l& b' W
2. Unbroken format in early legal documents: no spaces provided (to avoid fadulent deletions and additions)% P2 Z5 P/ L( ]+ B* X& o( M
3. The use of graphological devices as a means of revealing structure, content and logical progression: eg. an important word capitalized or underlined.
* |7 C5 r# j. L R+ v; G. [8 @ 4. The dearth of punctuation to prevent forgery.
' h l/ v6 G$ V/ h5 m 5. Legal documents composed as one very long sentence - no question of sentence linkage, except:
2 C+ X! k2 g3 y4 L1 u - the repetition of lexical items.
# q5 j& k0 R3 h1 u }4 { - substitute words not tolerated: eg. he, she, it, they(pronoun reference); do; this, that(anaphora), A0 b4 y& ? K% z
6. Legal English contains only complete major sentences: eg. statements, no question, occasional commands.- H& \8 P0 @, }4 k# k
7. Legal sentences have an underlying logical structure: "if X, then Z shall be (do) Y" - "if X" = conditional/ concessive adverbial clauses:. x( T5 u. r$ [. K& l
eg: co-ordinated adverbials: on the expiration …… or on the previous death ……/ subject to any authorized endorsement …… and to the production……
2 M& L0 U# r; G9 M; I3 E) M 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.7 k/ _' {' n8 i4 v( _
9. Adjectives and intensifying adverbs are almost completely absent:* u+ s) p" o- v I: @# v f" Y
eg: splendid, wise, disgusting, happy(adjectives) ; very, rather(intensifying adverbs)
5 l1 x' d! g2 e5 a9 a 10. Nouns modified by structures of post-modification are "abstract": eg. declaration, conditions, termination, stipulation, possession
* t" P5 s s3 H6 t) `: S 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.
8 w7 h9 a' }4 E& q 12. Preference for archai words and phrases: {" E9 g0 C9 z( y& k: L8 n! {
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 t$ D! Q X. O# X* A4 Q
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). |