Literary and Legal Textual Analysis

Characteristics of Literary Texts

Literary texts are characterized by their function or purpose, which is to entertain through creative or artistic language. In the process of creation, the writer focuses on the writing itself, playing with linguistic resources and often transgressing the rules of language to liberate their imagination and fantasy when creating fictional worlds. This style is also characterized by objectivity (representative and denotative).

Types of Literary Language

Literary language typically employs two styles:

• Colloquial language: Clear and accessible.
• Expressive means: Used to embellish descriptions and make them more attractive.

Definitions of Communication

• Language: The power or capacity of human beings that allows them to communicate with others.
• Tongue: The manifestation of language through a system of signs understood by a linguistic community.
• Speech: The specific use that each speaker makes of their tongue to deliver a message.

Varieties of Language

Dialects: All languages are considered dialects of the language from which they originated. Language varieties include:

• Geographical: Based on regional location.
• Social: Occurring at cultivated (worship) or vulgar levels.
• Functional: Depending on the concrete use that speakers make of the language in a particular communicative situation.

Characteristics of Legal Texts

Legal texts possess specific terminology (jargon) and utilize a conservative language style. The primary types of legal writings include:

• Regulations: Enabling laws and decrees.
• Judicial Decisions: Court dictates and briefs.
• Notarial Writings: Instances and legal documents.

Linguistic Features of Legal Writing

In terms of structure, there is a logical and progressive management of content; everything is well-structured, and nothing is explicable without the preceding context. Key features include:

• Declarative sentences in the 3rd person singular.
• Impersonal sentences and passive or reflexive passive constructions without an agent.
• An absence of articles and a predominance of nouns.
• Verb forms such as the future indicative, imperative periphrasis, timeless present, and non-personal forms.
• Specific adjectives, often placed before the noun to provide a solemn style, as well as noun complements (CN).

Functions of Legal Language

• Referential: Used for reporting objectively.
• Appellative: Used to catch the reader's attention.
• Aesthetic: Defined by its formal style and oratory.