Comparative Legal Linguistics

This book examines legal language as a language for special purposes, evaluating the functions and characteristics of legal language and the terminology of law. Using examples drawn from major and lesser legal languages, it examines the major legal languages themselves, beginning with Latin through German, French, Spanish and English. This second edition has been fully revised, updated and enlarged. A new chapter on legal Spanish takes into account the increasing importance of the language, and a new section explores the use (in legal circles) of the two variants of the Norwegian language. All chapters have been thoroughly updated and include more detailed footnote referencing. The work will be a valuable resource for students, researchers, and practitioners in the areas of legal history and theory, comparative law, semiotics, and linguistics. It will also be of interest to legal translators and terminologists.

Professor Heikki E.S. Mattila is Professor Emeritus of Legal Linguistics at the University of Lapland, Finland. His current research interests focus on comparative law and comparative legal linguistics. He has published several studies on legal languages, especially on legal Latin, as well as on family law, law of inheritance and international private law. Professor Mattila is also Docent of Comparative Law at the University of Helsinki in Finland.

Preface PART 1: GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1 Legal Language and Legal Linguistics PART 2: LEGAL LANGUAGE AS A LANGUAGE FOR SPECIAL PURPOSES 2 Functions of Legal Language 6 Legal German 3 Characteristics of Legal Language 4 Legal Terminology PART 3: THE MAJOR LEGAL LANGUAGES 5 The Heritage of Legal Latin 7 Legal French 8 Legal Spanish 9 Legal English PART 4: CONCLUSION 10 Lexical Comprehension and Research Needs