Anyone who has ever translated or taken part, in any capacity, in a legal proceeding can attest to the fact that there is a multitude of phrases and expressions that are pure Latin and yet are used in documents in many languages without translation. They remain unchanged to maintain uniformity throughout the world in various [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Latin’
Using Latin in Legal Documents (With Glossaries)
Friday, December 4th, 2009The Strange History of the Ampersand
Wednesday, August 26th, 2009The logogram on the left is ubiquitous and easily recognizable throughout the world; it’s “the and sign”. To professionals and lovers of linguistic trivia, it’s the “ampersand”. What is less known is how it got to be to the place it is today. Here’s a brief history recapitulating the most important areas: Its original form [...]
English: The New Latin?
Friday, July 31st, 2009English is the one language that can be found in every corner of the world. It is taught and recognized on every continent and its prevalence is much greater than any previous “universal language” (Greek, Latin, French). One tangential result of that ubiquity is that local cultures, for example those in Papua New Guinea, Nigeria, [...]
Obama and the Grammar Police
Friday, February 27th, 2009While President Obama has long been lauded for his eloquent speech (see my post “Obama and Power of Words”), as well as his intellect and professionalism, he has also been slammed for his grammar. Obama’s most widely criticized “mistake” is doubtlessly his “misuse” of pronouns. Like so many American English speakers, myself included, Obama often [...]
Split Infinitives and the Monster of Prescriptive Grammar
Friday, February 13th, 2009Yes, the Monster of Prescriptive Grammar has reared its ugly head, and boy did it choose the occasion to do so – the inauguration of the first African-American president of the United States. For those who watched President Obama take the oath of office, I’m sure you found it awkward, ridiculous, shameful or just bizarre [...]
