"Much of the peculiarity of legal language... is a survival of a time when the law was a secret science."
Digital copies are often available via university library portals. the language of the law david mellinkoff pdf
The book traces the evolution of legal English through several linguistic layers: Old English/Teutonic Influence: Terms like "manslaughter," "wife," and "guilty". Latin Influence: "Much of the peculiarity of legal language
The book is divided into several critical parts: the language of the law david mellinkoff pdf