Polysemy of English Legal Lexis and the Problems of Translation

The present article analyses English and Russian lexemes denoting core legal professions and positions and emphasizes the problem of their translation equivalency. The aim of the paper is to demonstrate that although legal terms are characterized by a single meaning and are context-independent, they can also be polysemantic and even enantiosemic, i.e. containing opposite meanings within a single word form. This fact poses a serious problem in translation. The article compares the semantic dimensions of the terms, analyses their distinctive features, and marks their stylistic and functional differences. The authors limit their research to the lexemes of the semantic groups of defence and prosecution . The data is taken from dictionaries, legal texts, media and BNC. The study implements definitive, distributive, contextual, and contrastive analyses. The above approach enabled the authors to specify the semantics of the English terms, their functional and cultural features and suggest some practical recommendations for their translation. The results of the study can be applied in the theory and practice of translation and in teaching Professional English to Law students.

legal terms, legal profession, polysemy, enantiosemy, contextual translation, English, Russian