Abstract
AbstractThis article deals with some questions of legal language in the Nordic countries. It stresses the fact that, while there is no common legal language among these countries, there is still a strong common understanding even though each language (i.e., Danish, Norwegian and Swedish; Finnish is a different language) has also developed its own terminology. Nordic legal language has its roots in the first written form of the law in the years before and after 1200. Later, legal language was influenced by the German language, and, to some degree, more recently by English. The language of Nordic courts was always the vernacular. At the university, Latin was used until the eighteenth century (in dissertations still in the first part of the nineteenth century), but today studies of law are carried out in Nordic languages. There remains a great need for scholarly works on Nordic law in Nordic languages at a time when the balance between international orientation and the necessity of producing scholarly works in the national language is an issue to be discussed.
Highlights
There exists neither a common Nordic legal language nor a Nordic common law.1 Around 1900, when Germany adopted its new civil code, Nordic voices were speaking in favour of a Nordic civil code common to all Nordic countries, but that remained a vision.2 Each country still has its own legal system and its own language
Latin was used until the eighteenth century, but today studies of law are carried out in Nordic languages
There remains a great need for scholarly works on Nordic law in Nordic languages at a time when the balance between international orientation and the necessity of producing scholarly works in the national language is an issue to be discussed
Summary
There exists neither a common Nordic legal language nor a Nordic common law. Around 1900, when Germany adopted its new civil code, Nordic voices were speaking in favour of a Nordic civil code common to all Nordic countries, but that remained a vision. Each country still has its own legal system and its own language. There exists neither a common Nordic legal language nor a Nordic common law.. Around 1900, when Germany adopted its new civil code, Nordic voices were speaking in favour of a Nordic civil code common to all Nordic countries, but that remained a vision.. Each country still has its own legal system and its own language. All statutes or court decisions are written in the national language: Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian or Swedish
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