TRANSLATING POLYSEMOUS WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS IN LEGAL DISCOURSE

Abstract

This article examines the translation of polysemous words and expressions in legal discourse and argues that lexical multiplicity in law cannot be resolved by ordinary dictionary substitution. In legal texts, a unit may carry several related meanings because it operates simultaneously within general language, professional legal usage, and a specific legal system. The problem becomes more acute when translation crosses not only languages but also jurisdictions, where concepts, institutions, and interpretive traditions do not fully coincide.