Jose Felgueroso
Abogado | Attorney
Glossary and Sources for the Translation of Legal Texts
info@josefelgueroso.com
2021-05-05
This article contains the glossary of more than 6,000 terms I created during the years I worked as a translator of legal documents. I also include several sources I frequently use for the translation of legal terms.
Glossary
This is the glossary:
Glosario de términos principalmente jurídicos EN-ES.xlsx
English terms follow US spelling (for example, the glossary includes "materialize," but not "materialise"). When several translations are possible, I include in bold the ones that in my opinion are the best choice and cross out the ones that seem incorrect. I recommend using the search function (Ctrl + F) to search for a term in the glossary, because not all the terms are organized alphabetically. The glossary can be distributed to others, as long as it is for non-commercial purposes (its sale would be a commercial purpose) and the author is mentioned (it is sufficient to leave the first row of the glossary when forwarding it).
Translation Sources
Bilingual Dictionaries
Linguee
The results include sentences that use the searched term, and this helps to understand the meaning of the term in different contexts. Its mobile application is excellent.
The same company has created DeepL, an automatic translator. If the original document is well written, DeepL makes few errors, although it is always a good idea to have someone with knowledge of both languages check the translation.
IATE
IATE is the European Union's terminology database. It contains many terms, and allows you to filter the results by field of activity (under the search box on the right, "Open expanded search > Filters: Domains"). The results contain definitions and references, and include stars to indicate the reliability of the translation.
ProZ
Search dictionaries and glossaries on a translators' website. Many terms include comments from several translators.
Spanish-English Dictionary of Law and Business, second edition
Spanish-English dictionary with excellent reputation and great authority.
Oxford Dictionary
A good source for individual words.
WordReference
The bottom of each page of results often contains links to forum discussions, which can help with difficult terms.
Monolingual dictionaries
Dictionary of the Real Academia Española (Spanish Royal Academy)
Dictionary of Spanish legal terms of the Real Academia Española
Black's Law Dictionary
The most widely used English legal dictionary in the United States. Several editions are in the public domain.
The Free Dictionary (legal dictionary)
Legal English dictionary
Database
EURLex
Database of European Union legislation, case law and other documents. This source can help with difficult terms, as it allows the presentation of documents in several languages. For example, if you want to find the translation of a term, first search for a document containing that term, and then select the English-Spanish bilingual presentation. Finally, use Ctrl + F to find the term in the text and see how it appears translated in the other language.
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
Many Wikipedia articles have links to the corresponding article in other languages. Apart from allowing the title to be translated, this provides terms related to a topic in several languages.
Google Searches
Limiting a Google search to certain websites can help when you have several alternatives for the translation of a term: you can search the different alternatives and see which one is used most frequently. In addition, you can limit your search to specialized websites, reliable sources, or specific geographic areas. The results often include definitions of the term.
For example, to search for the term "unfair or deceptive" on the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's website, enter the following in Google:
"unfair or deceptive" site:ftc.gov
To see how the term "sentencia anulatoria" is used in Mexico:
"sentencia anulatoria" site:mx
To search for the term "judicial review" on academic and government sites in the United States and the United Kingdom, enter the following:
"judicial review" site:ac.uk OR site:gov.uk OR site:edu OR site:gov
To search for a term in certain English-language publications:
"judicial review" site:economist.com OR site:theguardian.com OR site:bbc.co.uk OR site:theatlantic.com OR site:nytimes.com OR site:newyorker.com
To search for a term in Google Scholar:
https://scholar.google.com/
To search for a term (for example, "juez de instrucción") on government sites in Spanish-speaking countries:
"juez de instrucción" site:gob.es OR site:gob.cl OR site:gob.mx OR site:gob.ar OR site:gub.uy OR site:gob.pe OR site:gov.co OR site:go.cr OR site:gob.bo OR site:gob.hn OR site:gob.gt OR site:gob.ve OR site:gob.ec
To search for a term on the websites of several Spanish-language newspapers:
"juez de instrucción" site:elpais.com OR site:abc.es OR site:elmundo.es OR site:eluniversal.com.mx OR site:clarin.com OR site:latercera.com