Most English legal texts before 1600, and many from the seventeenth century are written in law French, a dialect which differs considerably both from current French and from old Norman French. Only two guides to law French were published , one in 1701 and the other in 1779: both were full of errors and omissions. This current manual is a revised and considerably enlarged version of the first edition which was published in 1779, the first law French manual to appear since the eighteenth century. The manual is the only current guide to the law French used in English law books between the thirteenth and seventeenth centuries, an essential reference tool for law libraries, students and practitioners of English legal history. This manual is a revised and considerably enlarged version of the 1979 edition. It is the only current guide to the law French used in English law books between the thirteenth and seventeenth centuries, and is an essential reference tool for law libraries, students and practitioners of English legal history.

Most English legal texts before 1600, and many before 1700, are written in law French. This book is the first glossary to be produced since 1779 and is intended for students and practitioners concerned with English legal history. A knowledge of French and Latin helps in understanding law French, but even so many words are not easily recognisable, and differences of usage constitute a new dialect. The glossary provides a list of the words most commonly found in English legal texts together with English meanings and (where appropriate) Latin equivalents or etymologies. Introductory chapters provide a brief history of the law French dialect; notes and tables for the conjugation of verbs in law French; common abbreviations and contractions, including the 'black letter' typographical symbols; and a bibliography of specialised works relating to law French.

4 English dictionaries -- 5 Latin dictionaries -- 6 Translations and parallel texts -- 7 Guides to grammar and morphology -- Note on the glossary -- Abbreviations used in the glossary -- The glossary -- Index of persons (including authors cited or listed)

A comprehensive guide to legal style and usage, with practical advice on how to write clear, jargon-free legal prose. Includes style tips as well as definitions.

The study of legal history has a broad application that extends well beyond the interests of legal historians. An attorney arguing a case today may need to cite cases that are decades or even centuries old, and historians studying political or cultural history often encounter legal issues that affect their main subjects. Both groups need to understand the laws and legal practices of past eras. This essential reference is intended for the many nonspecialists who need to enter this arcane and often tricky area of research.

This history of legal language slices through the polysyllabic thicket of legalese. The text shows to what extent legalese is simply a product of its past and demonstrates that arcane vocabulary is not an inevitable feature of our legal system.

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