Challenges in Translating Legal Performative verbs from Arabic to English

Makki, Salwa Sadon; (Ph.D.), Shifaa Hadi Hussein

doi:10.25130/Lang.10.1.P2.16

	Challenges in Translating Legal Performative verbs from Arabic to English
Journal of Language Studies
Volume 10, Issue 1, Part 2, March 2026, Pages 299-315 PDF (678.14 K)
Document Type: Original Article
DOI: 10.25130/Lang.10.1.P2.16
Authors
Salwa Sadon Makki; Shifaa Hadi Hussein (Ph.D.)
Abstract
Legal translation is deemed to be one of the most complicated and accurate fields in translation because of its close connection with various legal systems and the binding legal effect its texts carry. The most prominent linguistic features are the use of performative verbs, which perform dual functions: they do not only convey the information but also, they create legal actions after saying them. This use poses a major challenge in translating them from Arabic into English, due to the differences of the structures, legal systems and cultures between the two languages, which affects the understanding of the function of these actions. This study aims to examine the difficulties encountered by the translators to render the Arabic performative verbs in the legal texts into English. Then predicts the translation strategies used by the translators to render them. To verify these aims, the study hypothesizes that it is difficult for the translators to translate the Arabic performative verbs in the legal texts into English. In addition, the translators rely heavily on the literal strategy to translate the Arabic performative verbs in the legal texts into English. Translators do not maintain explicitness when translating the Arabic performative verbs in the legal texts into English.
Keywords
Speech act; Legal translation; Performative verbs; Translation Strategies; Explicitness

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