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Part of
Handbook of Terminology: Volume 2. Terminology in the Arab world
Edited by Abied Alsulaiman and Ahmed Allaithy
[Handbook of Terminology 2] 2019
► pp. 139–154

Chapter 6
The dilemma of legal terminology in the Arab world

In an age where the Arab world is becoming interconnected with the global community, legal translation is now on the rise. Because of international accords, societal and global conflicts, international trade and joint business enterprises that have impacted and continue to impact the Arab world, the need for accurate and uniformed legal terminology in Arabic is becoming more vital than ever. So what is it that puts the translation of legal terminology at the forefront of this emerging field? Could it be the lack of proper steps that are being taken by the Arab Language Academies or legal translators or is it because of the clear-cut and distinctive language quality of this changing and challenging field? One of the main purposes of this chapter is to examine the status of legal translation and terminology in the Arab world. The chapter explores the problems facing Arabic legal terminologists and translators such as lack of uniformity, general and specific differences within and across legal systems, and the ambiguity of the legal language, all of which contributes to the confusion surrounding this legal and culture-bound profession. This chapter concludes with implications and applications for further studies, and provides practical solutions to the most common difficulties of translating legal terminology.

Keywords: legal translation, legal language, terminologists, Arabic terminology, challenges, unified terminology, translation dilemma
Article outline
  • 1.Status of terminology and translation in the Arab world
  • 2.Problems facing Arabic legal translators
  • 3.Lack of uniformity
  • 4.Differences within the same legal system
  • 5.Translator’s lack of familiarity with legal terms
  • 6.Ambiguity of legal language
  • 7.Strategies for translating legal terms
    • 7.1Functional equivalence
    • 7.2Formal equivalence
    • 7.3Borrowing
    • 7.4Paraphrasing
    • 7.5Foreignizing and domestication
  • 8.Conclusion
  • References
Published online: 29 January 2019
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/hot.2.07shi
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