Articles / Aufsätze Lena Rogström & Hans Landqvist Fachsprache Vol. XL 3–4/2018 - 162 - Introducing a Local Legal Vocabulary in a Latin Context. A Study of Two Swedish 17 th Century Approaches Lena Rogström & Hans Landqvist Lena Rogström & Hans Landqvist Abstract In this article, the use and consolidation of legal vocabulary is investigated in two Swed- ish legal handbooks from the 17 th century written by Clas Rålamb and Claudius Kloot respectively. Both handbooks were written in Swedish but include elements in Latin. These elements represent original Latin as well as modifed Latin, i. e. words and phrases that have been adapted to Swedish morphology. Sections of the handbooks that deal with civil cases were analyzed from a lexicolog- ical starting point. The 106 legal concepts (LC) and 169 lexical units (LU) identifed are sorted into four central semantic areas of the legal process: ACTIONS, ARENAS, PARTICIPANTS and TOOLS. Kloot uses more LCs and more LUs than Rålamb who, on the other hand, shows greater lexical diferentiation than Kloot. Rålamb is also shown to use a greater number of Latin LUs than Kloot. The area of TOOLS has the closest connection to Latin. Both authors make use of Latin LUs that are still part of Swedish legal vocabulary. Kloot has a stronger tendency to use Swedish LUs when possible, while Rålamb more freely combines Swedish and Latin LUs. Rålamb’s and Kloot’s use of Latin and Swedish LUs is discussed as well as their policies regarding the use of Latin and Swedish. Finally, the lexication of Latin and Swedish LUs in the legal domain in Swedish is discussed. Keywords legal handbooks, 17 th century, Latin, Swedish, language use, language policy, lexica- tion, professionalization, Clas Rålamb, Claudius Kloot 1 Introduction Te study reported in this article combines three research areas. Te frst one is the develop- ment of the use of a vernacular, in this case Swedish, instead of Latin in the legal domain. Te second research area is the study of the origin and later lexication of legal vocabulary in Swed- ish. Te third and fnal area is the comparison of two valuable texts in the legal domain, which so far have only attracted the interest of legal historians but not of linguists. Te two texts are the frst legal handbooks in Swedish, written by Clas Rålamb and Claudius Kloot respectively. Rålamb’s book was titled OBSERVATIONES JURIS PRACTICÆ, Tet är Åthskillige Påmin- nelser vthi Rättegångs Saker […] [‘OBSERVATIONES JURIS PRACTICÆ, Many reminders regarding legal issues […]’, capital letters in the original title] (1674), and Kloot’s book was ti- tled Ten Swenska Lagfarenheetz Spegel […] [‘Refections on Swedish Law […]’ (1676). 1 In this 1 Kloot’s book title Then Swenska Lagfarenheetz Spegel […] is translated, rather freely, as ‘Refections on Swedish Law […]’ (1676). The word spegel [‘mirror’] in the title is, however, worth a comment. The Swed- ish word spegel (Lat. speculum, Dan. spejl, Norw. speil, Germ. Spiegel) was used in the titles of works of an encyclopedic nature with a pedagogical ambition, sometimes combined with an ambition to ofer rules of behaviour (cf. SAOB, spegel). Zitiervorschlag / Citation: Rogström, Lena/Landqvist, Hans (2018): “Introducing a Local Legal Vocabulary in a Latin Context. A Study of Two Swedish 17 th Century Approaches.” Fachsprache. Journal of Professional and Scientifc Communica- tion 40.3–4: 162–179.