![]() Nevertheless, they attempt to refer to every conceivable contingency within their model world and this gives their writing its second key characteristic of being all-inclusive. Another factor that further complicates their task is the fact that they deal with a universe of human behavior, which is unrestricted, in the sense that it is impossible to predict exactly what may happen within it. However, Bhatia (1993: 102) points out: As legal draftsmen are well aware of the age-old human capacity to wriggle out of obligations and to stretch rights to unexpected limits, in order to guard against such eventualities, they attempt to define their model world of obligations and rights, permissions and prohibitions as precisely, clearly and unambiguously as linguistic resources permit. Through legislation, and this, in most Western democratic systems, is seen as the will of the elected representatives of the people in the parliament. The so-called model world is thus created by imposing rights and obligations, permissions and prohibitions In order to regulate the real world of human behavior whenever it is viewed as inconsistent with the model world, these rules and regulations are judiciously interpreted and applied through a system of courts to negotiate and invariably enforce desired behavior. In principle, this model world is designed to be consistent with the vision that individual states or nations have of the society they wish to create however, in practice, it is often constrained by the sociopolitical realities of individual national cultures. ![]() It is through a variety of legal genres that an attempt is made to create and maintain a model world of rights and obligations, permissions and prohibitions. If the knowledge of law is more ‘potent,’ the knowledge of language is ‘prior.’ Language undoubtedly plays an important role in the construction, interpretation, negotiation, and implementation of legal justice. ‘‘Cognito verborum prior est, cognito rerum postior est,’’ said Erasmus. Legal Genres V K Bhatia, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong ! 2006 Elsevier Ltd. See also: Arabic Armenian Syria: Language Situation. Contact with foreign languages is reinforced through large Lebanese communities living abroad, especially in France, the United States, and South America. Because of Lebanon’s long tradition as a center for international trading and commerce, French and, more recently, English enjoy a high status in Lebanon and are comparatively widely known. Aramaic (Assyrian and Chaldean Neo-Aramaic) is only used as a religious language in Lebanon, although it is still found as a spoken language in neighboring Syria. In addition to Arabic, about 234 600 Lebanese (or 6% of the population) speak Armenian, for which an active printing and publishing industry exists. ![]() The adult literacy rate in 1990 was 80.3%. As in other countries of the Arab world, there are two types of Arabic in Lebanon in a diglossic relation: Modern Standard Arabic, which is used in formal contexts, in the media, and in writing, and Levantine Arabic (South Levantine Spoken Arabic) dialects, which are used for spoken and everyday communication. The official language of Lebanon is Arabic, which is also the native language of the large majority of itsģ.7 million inhabitants. ![]() Since the end of the civil war, the political system has addressed the representation of the interests of different ethnic and religious groups – including Sunni and Shia Muslims, Druze, and various Christian sects – in the country. From 1975 until 1991, the country suffered from a civil war, which also involved the neighboring countries, Israel and Syria, and the Palestinian Liberation Organization. After the end of the Ottoman Empire, Lebanon was under French mandate from 1920 until it gained independence in 1943. Since the Middle Ages, Lebanon has acquired a reputation for comparatively tolerant politics and has become home to a number of smaller religious and ethnic groups of the area. Arabic was introduced into Lebanon with the Arab conquest in 634–636 A.D. Recorded history in Lebanon goes back almost 5000 years to the times of the Phoenician seafaring traders. Lebanon: Language Situation Editorial Team ! 2006 Elsevier Ltd.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |