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Something to Note About Danish Legal Language

By: Rabia Tanveer Posted on Wed, 06-01-2016

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Legal jargon can be a little daunting in Danish. Although same at first glance, Danish and English are very different from each other. Especially when it comes to the legal terms and how they are used in the documents. Even though English is considered to be the standard language of law in many countries, Denmark still uses Danish as the official language of court and everything legal. This is the reason why a translator needs to know these terms when he is providing legal translation services.

Even simple document translations can be a little bit too much sometimes for a new writer, so a legal document can be a Herculean task. This is why it is always advised to take the help of an experienced translator or associate yourself with a professional translation company so that they can help you and provide resources that will make the process easier for you.

Here are some words that are constantly used in the Legal translation services that you must be aware of.

  • Manddrab = Manslaughter
  • Procesretlov = Procedural Law
  • Forvaltningslov = Administrative Law
  • Kompenserende Erstatning = Compensatory Damages
  • Kontrakt = Contract
  • Titel = Title

A translator must note that these are the common words that are most often used in Danish speech and writing. When you are working on a legal document, you must have a Danish legal dictionary and your client must provide you with a glossary to help you with the process. If you are a part of a translation company, they will already supply you with a Style Guide, Translation Glossary and supportive documents that will help you and make the process easier for you.

Take extra care of the special vowels in Danish language. The Å, Ø and Æ must be used accordingly and only where they are needed. You can create new Danish words using the compounding method, but you need to be careful and you must always confirm if it would be appropriate for the legal document or not. And remember, taking help of a qualified Danish translator would be better than doing it alone.

Simply ask an experienced translator or speaker to proofread your translation before you submit it and you will be good to go.