A law dictionary is a dictionary that is designed and compiled to give information about terms used in the field of law.
Nielsen 1994 discusses different types of law dictionaries. A distinction is made between different types of law dictionaries. A monolingual law dictionary covers one language, a bilingual covers two.
A distinction may also be made as to its coverage. A law dictionary that covers an entire field of law is called a single-field dictionary, whereas a dictionary that covers a part of a field of law is called a sub-field dictionary, e.g. a dictionary of contract law. If the law dictionary attempts to cover all the terms in the field of law, it is called a maximizing dictionary, and if it attempts to cover only a limited number of terms, it is called a minimizing dictionary.
A good bilingual law dictionary needs to take the users' expected language and professional competences into account. The lexicographers therefore need to consider the following aspects: dictionary user research, dictionary typology, structure and presentation of the relevant information. When making a law dictionary, the lexicographers attempt to present the information in such a way that the user is not burdened with excessive lexicographic information costs.
As pointed out in Nielsen 1994, law dictionaries can serve different functions. The traditional law dictionary with definitions of legal terms serves to help users understand the legal texts they read (a communicative function) or to help users acquire knowledge about legal matters independent of any text ( a cognitive function) - such law dictionaries are usually monolongual. Bilingual law dictionaries may serve several functions. First, they may have entry words in one language and definitions in another language - these dictionaries give help to understand legal texts, usually written in a foreign language, and to acquire knowledge, usually about a foreign lagal system. Second, bilingual law dictionaries with entry words in one language and equivalents in another language provide help to translate legal texts, into or from a foreign language, and sometimes also to produce legal texts, usually in a foreign language.
Unlike a law dictionary, which arranges and defines legal words and phrases individually and in alphabetical order, a legal terminology textbook arranges and defines legal words and phrases in groups and by topic. As a result, a student or other person interested in understanding an array of related legal words and phrases may prefer to use a legal terminology textbook instead.
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References
- Sandro Nielsen: The Bilingual LSP Dictionary. Principles and Practice for Legal Language. Gunter Narr Verlag 1994.
- Sandro Nielsen:"The Effect of Lexicographical Information Costs on Dictionary Making and Use". In: Lexikos 18/2008, 170-189.
External links
Major law dictionaries
- Black's Law Dictionary (8th ed.). ISBN 0-314-15199-0.
- Stroud's Judicial Dictionary (United Kingdom)
- Dean's Law Dictionary - created by artificial intelligence with over 185,000 terms and 300,000 case cites.
Downloadable law dictionaries
- Dean's Law Dictionary - created by artificial intelligence with over 185,000 terms and 300,000 case cites.
- Poorman's Law Dictionary - A dictionary for Blackberry, Palm and Symbian Phones.
Online law dictionaries
- LawDictionaries.com - Index of free online law dictionaries and other useful tools.
- LawyerIntl.com Legal Dictionary - Compilation of Law Dictionaries including Bouvier's Legal Dictionary 6th Edition
- The 'Lectric Law Library - the gateway to 1000's of pages of free legal information and free legal forms.
- Some links to Legal Dictionaries
- Bouvier's Law Dictionary, 6th ed. (1856)
- WEX: Definitions, An American law glossary, from Cornell
- United States Glossary of immigration law terms
- Everybody's Legal Glossary, Nolo
- Law.com legal dictionary
- Legal Dictionaries- an online search and definition site for legal terms.
- Merriam Webster Law Dictionary at Findlaw.
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