1. Extreme linguistic conversion of legal English: copied directly from "form books"(法典)
8 Z7 i N7 S3 F: a, Q" b 2. Unbroken format in early legal documents: no spaces provided (to avoid fadulent deletions and additions)0 M3 q! P4 s* [; C7 l0 O) n
3. The use of graphological devices as a means of revealing structure, content and logical progression: eg. an important word capitalized or underlined.
% r3 R) r2 l6 X+ v 4. The dearth of punctuation to prevent forgery.
: t/ D Q% C' V 5. Legal documents composed as one very long sentence - no question of sentence linkage, except:& Q$ ]/ ^: u: i% |8 k# R
- the repetition of lexical items.
8 H7 u- i$ L3 S( i- I - substitute words not tolerated: eg. he, she, it, they(pronoun reference); do; this, that(anaphora)
0 H) j8 R' @$ I. V, x& w& S 6. Legal English contains only complete major sentences: eg. statements, no question, occasional commands.4 w3 }% g6 {, g# l8 S$ k1 j, Y. f
7. Legal sentences have an underlying logical structure: "if X, then Z shall be (do) Y" - "if X" = conditional/ concessive adverbial clauses:
/ P8 _7 m2 c B4 |. B eg: co-ordinated adverbials: on the expiration …… or on the previous death ……/ subject to any authorized endorsement …… and to the production……7 _7 m) S3 q5 L3 D0 J" \& ^9 q
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.! v! F/ }! F. `; N. @( {4 o
9. Adjectives and intensifying adverbs are almost completely absent:, s6 R% e+ n/ {6 H
eg: splendid, wise, disgusting, happy(adjectives) ; very, rather(intensifying adverbs)
$ p P1 X3 R) |6 ~. G8 r) ?' D' F6 R 10. Nouns modified by structures of post-modification are "abstract": eg. declaration, conditions, termination, stipulation, possession
; C% _4 _- u- |9 d: j 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.! a5 \; V0 p: T# e% N1 t* o) O' K# B4 y2 u
12. Preference for archai words and phrases:
5 V9 X5 k- c; T9 B5 t# \6 q 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)
4 q, d) f0 w6 _8 ?% R. f 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). |