Introduction to Legal English & EU "Legalese"
I. What is Legal English?
...on the distinctive features of Legal English aka "Legalese", i.e. legal vocabulary, and syntax.
During this introductory chapter, we shall discuss the distinctive features of the Legal English vocabulary, ranging from the consideration of words whose specific, legal terminology is being used in legal contexts, such as 'alimony', 'collusion', 'distraint' or 'indemnity', to the analysis of the so-called 'sub-technical' ones, such as 'action', 'hand', 'proceedings' or 'service' up to and including here 'general' English language ones, such as 'judge', 'theft' or 'witness', or those deriving from other languages, such as French ('fait accompli', 'force majeure' etc.), or Latin ('bona fide', 'prima facie' etc.).
We shall also discuss a number of specific features characterizing English language syntax and its sentence structure. We will consider here the manner in which lexical repetitions are being used as a reference mechanism, whereby instead of 'it' or 'this', or any other pronoun for that matter, the use of specific words, such as 'the aforesaid' or 'the aforementioned' is being preferred in 'Legalese' speak.
We shall also discuss the matter of long and rather complex sentences, whose multiple levels of subordination are seldom found in general English usage. Moreover, we will consider the frequent use of the passive for the purpose of emphasizing the result of certain actions, rather than their agents and/or agencies.
Even further to that, we will consider another feature - that is yet again seldom found in the everyday use of the English language - concerning the use of the subjunctive; also, we shall analyse the use of conditional sentences with inversion and the particular usage of connectors, such as 'whereas' or 'provided that' as well as the tendency to avoid the negative particle 'not' by replacing it with 'except' or 'unless', or even the omission of the relative pronoun, the appropriate form of the verb 'to be', the use of prepositions which are separated from their complements etc. etc.
To be continued...
