Article

Name: The Russian legal text within the “new variantology” paradigm

Authors: Nikolai D. Golev, Victoria S. Melnikova, Galina V. Napreenko

Kemerovo State University, Kemerovo, Russian Federation

In the section Linguistics

Abstract:

This paper analyzes the features of Russian legal texts within the framework of “new variantology” through an examination of Articles 6.1 and 7 of the Kemerovo Region Law No. 119-OZ “On Interbudgetary Relations” (November 26, 2008). The analysis focuses on the important aspects of implementing new methodological approaches in legal text analysis, as well as on the characteristics of linguistic variation found in normative acts. This study breaks new ground by being the first to examine how different language versions appear and function in legal documents, specifically using regional laws. The findings demonstrate that the “new variantology” approach can facilitate the identification of patterns in using diverse linguistic tools for creating legal norms and elucidate the influence of local factors on regional legal discourse. Additionally, a reverse machine translation technique was used to analyze synchronous variability, thus positioning the investigation within the domain of translation variantology. According to a supplementary survey, legal texts present considerable comprehension challenges for students, whether they specialize in the subject or not. Ultimately, the practical significance of this work lies in its potential to contribute to scholarship on Russian legal texts, to aid in distinguishing between human- and AI-generated texts, and to identify components that affect text complexity.

Keywords: reverse machine translation, text complexity, variability, text of the law, variantology, text comprehensibility

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