Grammar in the Law

C 2025

Grammar in the Law

CHOVANEC, Jan

Základní údaje

Originální název

Grammar in the Law

Autoři

CHOVANEC, Jan

Vydání

2. vyd. Hoboken, New Jersey, USA, The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics, od s. 1-9, 9 s. n/a, 2025

Nakladatel

Wiley

Další údaje

Jazyk

angličtina

Typ výsledku

Kapitola resp. kapitoly v odborné knize

Obor

60203 Linguistics

Stát vydavatele

Spojené státy

Utajení

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

Forma vydání

elektronická verze "online"

Odkazy

Link to full text on the publisher's site

Označené pro přenos do RIV

Organizační jednotka

Filozofická fakulta

ISBN

978-1-4051-9473-0

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1002/9781405198431.wbeal0482.pub2

Klíčová slova česky

právní jazyk; gramatika; právní diskurz

Klíčová slova anglicky

legal language; grammar; legal discourse

Příznaky

Mezinárodní význam, Recenzováno

Změněno: 26. 1. 2026 11:21, Mgr. Jana Pelclová, Ph.D.

Anotace

V originále

The entry deals with the grammatical and syntactic characteristics of legal language as a specialized register, that is, a functionally differentiated variety of language used in certain professional contexts. Although the concept of “legal language” covers a broad range of different, though related, legal discourses, it is most commonly understood as the written language or style of legal documents, which may not be readily intelligible to the lay public. The entry reviews the characteristic lexicogrammar features of such operative legal documents as legislation and contracts, including impersonal constructions, passives with deleted agents, nominalizations and complex nominal phrases, syntactic discontinuities, cohesion, and modal verbs. It also describes some grammatical features found in spoken legal discourses, particularly in courtroom interaction. In addition, the entry notes that grammar can become the actual bone of contention in disputes over the interpretation of complex legal language and, importantly, also be used as forensic evidence, for example, where linguists are called upon to assess textual evidence and assist in the identification of possible authorship of disputed texts. Finally, attention is paid to the current trend toward the simplification of legal language, which has affected the ways in which legal documents have been drafted in recent years.

Návaznosti

MUNI/A/1558/2024, interní kód MU

Název: Jazyk, literatura a kultura v anglofonních kontextech II

Investor: Masarykova univerzita, Jazyk, literatura a kultura v anglofonních kontextech II

Přiložené soubory

The_Encyclopedia_of_Applied_Linguistics_-_2025_-_Chovanec_-_Grammar_in_the_Law.pdf

Požádat o autorskou verzi souboru

Citovat

CHOVANEC, Jan. Grammar in the Law. Online. In Chapelle, Carol A. The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics. 2. vyd. Hoboken, New Jersey, USA: Wiley, 2025, s. 1-9. n/a. ISBN 978-1-4051-9473-0. Dostupné z: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781405198431.wbeal0482.pub2.

@inbook{2247168,
   author = {Chovanec, Jan},
   address = {Hoboken, New Jersey, USA},
   booktitle = {The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics},
   doi = {https://doi.org/10.1002/9781405198431.wbeal0482.pub2},
   edition = {2.},
   editor = {Chapelle, Carol A.},
   keywords = {legal language; grammar; legal discourse},
   howpublished = {elektronická verze "online"},
   language = {eng},
   location = {Hoboken, New Jersey, USA},
   isbn = {978-1-4051-9473-0},
   pages = {1-9},
   publisher = {Wiley},
   title = {Grammar in the Law},
   url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781405198431.wbeal0482.pub2},
   year = {2025}
}

TY  - CHAP
ID  - 2247168
AU  - Chovanec, Jan
PY  - 2025
TI  - Grammar in the Law
VL  - n/a
PB  - Wiley
CY  - Hoboken, New Jersey, USA
SN  - 9781405194730
KW  - legal language
KW  - grammar
KW  - legal discourse
UR  - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781405198431.wbeal0482.pub2
N2  - The entry deals with the grammatical and syntactic characteristics of legal language as a specialized register, that is, a functionally differentiated variety of language used in certain professional contexts. Although the concept of “legal language” covers a broad range of different, though related, legal discourses, it is most commonly understood as the written language or style of legal documents, which may not be readily intelligible to the lay public. The entry reviews the characteristic lexicogrammar features of such operative legal documents as legislation and contracts, including impersonal constructions, passives with deleted agents, nominalizations and complex nominal phrases, syntactic discontinuities, cohesion, and modal verbs. It also describes some grammatical features found in spoken legal discourses, particularly in courtroom interaction. In addition, the entry notes that grammar can become the actual bone of contention in disputes over the interpretation of complex legal language and, importantly, also be used as forensic evidence, for example, where linguists are called upon to assess textual evidence and assist in the identification of possible authorship of disputed texts. Finally, attention is paid to the current trend toward the simplification of legal language, which has affected the ways in which legal documents have been drafted in recent years.
ER  -

CHOVANEC, Jan. Grammar in the Law. Online. In Chapelle, Carol A. \textit{The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics}. 2. vyd. Hoboken, New Jersey, USA: Wiley, 2025, s.~1-9. n/a. ISBN~978-1-4051-9473-0. Dostupné z: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781405198431.wbeal0482.pub2.

Přehled o publikaci