1. Extreme linguistic conversion of legal English: copied directly from "form books"(法典)
8 F/ d8 e& c' u5 u9 z" R [' v 2. Unbroken format in early legal documents: no spaces provided (to avoid fadulent deletions and additions)
% C: V g* W. @; ^- w% C 3. The use of graphological devices as a means of revealing structure, content and logical progression: eg. an important word capitalized or underlined.
9 n# |9 J+ g& `- j 4. The dearth of punctuation to prevent forgery.
( b% u8 D5 D+ l- W' @$ J8 ?( } 5. Legal documents composed as one very long sentence - no question of sentence linkage, except:! U- l' w4 p/ ~3 ]; i' [6 H4 c
- the repetition of lexical items.
2 N& [& n2 r+ H - substitute words not tolerated: eg. he, she, it, they(pronoun reference); do; this, that(anaphora)3 {* m( o& W$ z' j; t$ c
6. Legal English contains only complete major sentences: eg. statements, no question, occasional commands.
2 y0 g) K" T# r1 l3 r- ` 7. Legal sentences have an underlying logical structure: "if X, then Z shall be (do) Y" - "if X" = conditional/ concessive adverbial clauses:
, Y" c2 _& k- y1 A1 R eg: co-ordinated adverbials: on the expiration …… or on the previous death ……/ subject to any authorized endorsement …… and to the production……1 v7 l) m1 P! `2 D
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., k5 w$ l3 C( k' k2 ~
9. Adjectives and intensifying adverbs are almost completely absent:& S) g4 O: c9 r5 I
eg: splendid, wise, disgusting, happy(adjectives) ; very, rather(intensifying adverbs)
3 z8 z6 h& f2 S+ @* G4 J& s 10. Nouns modified by structures of post-modification are "abstract": eg. declaration, conditions, termination, stipulation, possession- E2 J1 `, L+ o! K. o4 p
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.6 {' C# A: y4 Z% o) _1 e
12. Preference for archai words and phrases:
& a( P* ~ X. Q3 T5 b9 w 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). K% l8 B$ @' Y
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). |