Lexis and Semantics in Occupation: Legalese Flashcards
Which occupation is Legalese used in?
Lawyer Jobs
Which language became the standard form when the Normans invaded England?
Anglo-Norman French
Give a word which came from Anglo-Norman French (related to a piece of land (beginning with “P)
Property, Tenant
List 2 legal words derived from Latin
Affidavit, Writ
What is the term related to legal documents which describes them being very wordy?
Verbosity
What may happen to nouns in legal documents? Give an example of this
Nouns can turn in to verbs such as someone losing their job can turn in to “job-losses”
Do legal documents usually use an active or passive voice?
Passive voice
Give an example of a passive voice sentence
“They found him in the well”
What is a passive voice sentence?
A sentence which does not specifically identify any individuals or locations of places
What would be an example of an active voice sentence?
“The Police found him in the Black Well”
What are archaic words and are they likely to appear in legal documents?
Archaic words are words no longer commonly used. They can appear in legal documents
Give 2 examples of Archaic words
“Thereof”, “Whereof”
What is the situation with punctuation in legal documents?
There is very little punctuation
What is the belief among lawyers with punctuation use?
The meaning of legal documents only requires the words and their context
What language may be used for some words in legal documents instead of english? Give an example
Latin phrases such as “Inter alia” for “among others”
What does the Plain English Campaign argue?
Legal documents need to be able to be understood better by people who are not lawyers
Why do the Plain English Campaign argue this?
Because they believe in a Democracy, everyone should be able to access the law
What does Mellinkoff argue?
The law is a ‘profession of words”
