Comparative legal linguistics / by Heikki E.S. Mattila, translated by Christopher Goddard.

Aldershot, Hanmpshire : Ashgate, 2006.

26456

Law -- Language.

Law -- Interpretation and construction.

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

3. Characteristics of legal language

4. Legal terminology

Part 3: The major legal language

5. The heritage of legal Latin

6. Legal German

7. Legal French

8. Legal English

Part 4: Conclusion

9. Lexical comprehension and research needs.

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 and English. Each chapter includes an historical overview of the growth of the language, its international use, its coherence in the various countries using it and its relationship to cognate legal languages.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

9780754648741

xv, 347 pages ; 25 cm