2. LANGUAGE CHANGE AND VARIETY
Extrinsic Factors – Diachronic (Historical) and
Synchronic (point of time) changes
Intrinsic Factors – Accent, Idiolect
Social Class – Low and High variety, Diglossia
Geographical Area - Dialect
Culture - Prestige
Occupation - Register
Education - Jargon
Speech Community - Slang
3. LEGAL LANGUAGE
Historical Factors: Anglo-Saxon, Old French,
Medieval Latin each and every, have and hold,
null and void, rest residue and remainder
Tautologous expressions in English documents are
from French and Latin made and signed,
breaking and entering, will and testament
Repetition, Alliteration, Rhythm reflect need for law
to be remembered clearly and passed on consistently
4. David Mellinkoff, The Language of the Law (1963)
‘ The law is a profession of words.’
Linguistic ‘mannerism’ : wordiness, lack of clarity, pomposity
and dullness
Specific Vocabulary
Convoluted Syntax, Verbal Phrases
Peculiar Punctuation
Archaic expressions
Repetition of expression
Gobbledygook ( using many words)
Abbreviations
Doublets, Triplets, Synonyms
Compound subjects/objects/Adjectives/Verbs
6. JARGON
French word jargoun, jargon - twittering, gibberish
Latin gaggire – chatter
Specific lexicon used in profession
Special terminology, vocabulary used by insiders (of
professional community)
Special linguistic features, words and phrases that
communicate knowledge of a domain
Precision and efficacy
Increase comprehensibility at professional level but have
to be explained to outsiders
Dexterity of writer
Formal usage
7. TYPES OF JARGON
Business - bang for the buck, due diligence
Medical - BP, IM
Political - Left wing, Right wing
Legal - aforementioned, thereof
Military - Code Eleven
Computer - modem, bit
Internet - FAQs, BTW
8. SLANG
Informal
Non-standard vocabulary
Colloquial, more spoken than written
Markers of group identity
Used by groups, subcultures
Everyday terms among young speakers with similar
interest
‘grows old quickly’
