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.