Legal Translation and
Terminology
30/11 - 2/12, 2007
Zagreb
Principles of terminology for legal translators
Peter Sandrini
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Peter Sandrini
Overview
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Part 1
 Basic concepts of Terminology
 What makes Legal terms special?
 How can we compare legal terms?
Part 2
 How to compile a legal terminology collection?
 Terminology management
 Legal Terminology databases
Peter Sandrini
Aim of terminology
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The goal of terminology management in the field of
law is to document and to describe the terms and
concepts
 of a particular legal system in all the languages
used;
 or of different legal systems in their respective
language comparing them
The concept in the sense of a knowledge unit is
central to this task. Only as elements of a particular
legal setting embedded in a knowledge structure
concepts are able to convey their specific role and
meaning to the user.
Peter Sandrini
Objective
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Descriptive terminology
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Normative terminology
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What are the basic knowledge units of a specific
subject field? (concept description)
Which linguistic representations are used for them?
(terms, synonyms)
How can we improve communication in this subject
field?
Which representations/terms should be
used/preferred?
Peter Sandrini
Comparative Law
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Legal system 1
Legal system 2
Concepts
Concepts
Norms
Norms
System
System
Procedures
Procedures
Methods of interpretation
Methods of interpretation
Legal thinking
Legal thinking
Moral values
Moral values
Historical background
Historical background
Real-life aspect
problem of society,
independent of a particular legal system
Peter Sandrini
What can comparative law
contribute?
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Basic methodology for a comparison of legal
concepts
Importance of legal background
Ultimate tertium comparationis is outside legal
systems and is functional
Peter Sandrini
Comparative Legal
Terminography
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Peter Sandrini
Comparing legal concepts
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Example:
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DE Kündigung
IT licenziamento
EN dismissal
HR ?
Peter Sandrini
Kündigung and licenziamento
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Kündigung describes the dismissal of the worker either by the
employer or by the worker himself
it is the standard procedure to end an employment contract
within the ArVG in contrast to the extraordinary procedure
Entlassung in the case of good reason (e.g. misconduct of the
worker) which ends the employment contract immediately
risoluzione del contratto di lavoro per recesso unilaterale del
datore di lavoro. Nell'ambito della disciplina limitativa dei
licenziamenti é ammesso solo per giusta causa o per
giustificato motivo, altrimenti si parla di licenziamento ad
nutum.
Peter Sandrini
Auflösung des Arbeitsverhältnisses
Kündigung
Entlassung
Kündigung durch den Arbeitgeber
Kündigung durch den Arbeitnehmer
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Peter Sandrini
Risoluzione del contratto di lavoro
licenziamento
dimissioni
Licenziamento per giustificato motivo
Licenziamento per giusta causa
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Peter Sandrini
End of employment
dismissal
resignation
ordinary dismissal
extraordinary dismissal
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Peter Sandrini
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DE Kündigung durch den Arbeitgeber
IT licenziamento
EN dismissal
DE Kündigung durch den Arbeitnehmer
IT dimissioni
EN resignation
DE Entlassung
IT licenziamento per giusta causa
EN extraordinary dismissal
DE Kündigung
IT licenziamento per giustificato motivo
EN ordinary dismissal
}
HR ?
Peter Sandrini
Steps
1. Starting from subject field content (concepts) =
onomasiological viewpoint
2. Define the subject field and the legal branch in one legal
system
3. Analyze function and position of the concepts that form
the legal solution in this legal system
4. Define the social problem that lies at the bottom of this
legal solution
5. Identify the legal setting for this in the other legal system
6. Analyze function and position of the concepts that form
the legal solution in the other system
7. Compare single concepts
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Peter Sandrini
Steps
7. Compare single concepts
a) Position in the structure of the legal setting
(concept system)
b) Legal content, definition
c) terms
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Peter Sandrini
Comparing legal concepts
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Directive (94/45/EC) establishes the European Works
Council (EWC) for the purpose of informing and
consulting employees in companies which operate at
European Union level.
Example: institution of workers representation in different
legal systems
 DE Betriebsrat
 IT consiglio di fabbrica
 EN works council
 HR ?
Peter Sandrini
Worker representation in Italy
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commissione interna (1943-1972)
comitato di base
consiglio di fabbrica (1968-1993)
rappresentanza sindacale aziendale (1972)
rappresentanza sindacale unitaria (1993- )
sezioni sindacali
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importance of trade unions, high labor conflict potential
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Peter Sandrini
Worker representation in
Austria/Germany
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In the framework of the Arbeitsverfassungsgesetz in
every company with more than 5 employees
rights of participation, i.e. the information, consultation
and co-determination (Mitbestimmung)
In public companies AG it is represented in the board of
directors
institutional backing, extensive rights, cooperation
Peter Sandrini
De Groot's Proposals
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Translation: What to do in cases of missing
equivalence?
3 subsidiary solutions:
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No translation, use of source term + footnote
Paraphrase or description (descriptive equivalent)
Neologism, use of a term which is not part of the
target language legal system + footnote
Peter Sandrini
Terminology for the EU
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one legal framework EU-Law
 coherent legal content, influenced however by
national legal systems
 searching terms for the different languages
 avoiding conflict with national terminology
EN European Works Council (EWC)
DE Europäischer Betriebsrat (EBR)
the term Betriebsrat evokes participation codetermination in German readers
IT comitato aziendale europeo (CAE)
new term, no associations
Peter Sandrini
Inadequacy of traditional
bilingual legal lexicography
Kündigung (F.) licenziamento (M.), dimissioni (F.Pl.),
risoluzione (F.), recesso (M.), disdetta (F.)
Köbler, G
(1996): Rechtsitalienisch
Kündigung denuncia; dimissione(i); disdetta; licenziamento;
preaviso; preaviso di licenziamento; preaviso di recesso;
revoca; risoluzione.
Troike Strambaci/Helffrich Mariani(1987): Wörterbuch des italienisch-deutschen
Privat- und Wirtschaftsrechts
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Peter Sandrini
Inadequacy of traditional legal
lexicography
Betriebsrat (M.) staff committee (N.), factory committee (N.),
shop committee (N.)
Köbler, G (1998):
Rechtsenglish
Betriebs|obmann m delegato d'impresa; -ordnung f regolamento
aziendale, regolamento d'azienda; ...; -rat m commissione
interna (Institution); membro della commissione interna
(Mitglied); -raum m locale d'esercizio; ...
Conte / Boss (2003): Wörterbuch der Rechts- und
Wirtschaftssprache
Betriebsrat commissione interna; consiglio di fabbrica; consiglio
di gestione.
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Troike Strambaci/Helffrich Mariani(1997): Wörterbuch des italienisch-deutschen
Peter Sandrini
Privat- und Wirtschaftsrechts
Inadequacy of traditional legal
lexicography
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no information regarding the legal system
many equivalents without differentiating them
no equivalence information
no definition or concept description
Peter Sandrini
Lexicographical and terminological
record
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Word and its meaning
Homonyms in the same
record
Synonyms in different
records
All word classes
Alphabetical order
LGP vocabulary
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Concept and term
Different concepts in
different records
Synonyms in the same
record
Nouns, adjectives,
verbs
Systematic order
Defined LSP vocabulary
Peter Sandrini
What do we (legal translators)
need?
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What kind of information do e need regarding lexical
items / terms?
Information on
 the legal background = definition of concepts
 the legal effects of the text and the concepts
 the use of the term
Hence the aim of terminology:
to document and to explain concepts and terms
Peter Sandrini
Alternative
Approaches to
Legal Dictionaries
Handbuch der Internationalen
Rechts- und Verwaltungssprache:
Niederlassungsrecht (1989)
Deutsch/Englisch. Berlin:
Heymanns.
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Peter Sandrini
New Approaches to Legal
Dictionaries
Terminologisches Wörterbuch zum Vertragsrecht
italienisch/deutsch, Europäische Akademie Bozen.
München: C.H. Beck
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Peter Sandrini
Desiderata for legal dictionaries
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Restricted to a specified area of law and specified
legal systems
Introduction to the area of law and the legal systems
involved
Conceptual information in definitions, contexts
Information on equivalence degree and equivalence
problems
Peter Sandrini
Terminology Management
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Any deliberate manipulation of terminological information
 practical terminology management
 systematic recording
 ad hoc retrieval
Peter Sandrini
Terminology Management
Entry or record
structured collection of terminological data relevant
to one concept. (ISO 1087)
• Terminological Database or termbase: structured
sets of terminological records in an information
processing system. (ISO 1087)
• Terminology Management System
software application used to create, edit store and
retrieve terminological records.
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Peter Sandrini
Entry Model
concept-oriented terminology: we describe legal concepts
and the terms used for them
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Terms, Synonyms = linguistic information
Definition and context = conceptual information
Equivalence degree = result of comparison
legal system
legal area
language
}
documentary information
Peter Sandrini
Terminology Management Tools
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predetermined, fixed entry structure
 Termbase ...
flexible, customizable entry structure
 Multiterm
 Example FD-Termbase (on USB)
Peter Sandrini
Term Banks for Legal
Translators
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IATE http://iate.europa.eu
Bistro www.eurac.edu/bistro
Lexalp http://www.eurac.edu/lexalp
EuroTerm http://db.eurotermbank.com/Search.aspx
UNTerm http://157.150.197.21/dgaacs/unterm.nsf
Collection of terminology databases
http://www.uibk.ac.at/translation/termlogy/database.html
Peter Sandrini
IATE
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Peter Sandrini
IATE
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Peter Sandrini
Bistro
Bistro: http://www.eurac.edu/lexalp
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Peter Sandrini
LexAlp TermBank
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Peter Sandrini
EuroTermBank
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http://db.eurotermbank.com/Search.aspx
General collection of terms in more than 20 languages,
with terms on EU Law
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Peter Sandrini
Croatian TermBank
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http://www.mvpei.hr/euroterm/Default.aspx
Peter Sandrini
UNTerm
UNTerm: http://157.150.197.21/dgaacs/unterm.nsf
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Peter Sandrini
European Law Terminology
Eur Lex (treaties, legislation, case-law and
legislative proposals) http://eur-lex.europa.eu
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Peter Sandrini