Terminological Gaps in the Context of Digitalization of English-Language Terminological System of Criminal Law

Abstract

The present research deals with the analysis of lexical gaps belonging to legal terminology, which emerged in the Russian language due to the processes of digitalization of English-language terminological system of criminal law. Due to insufficient state of knowledge of terminological gaps in institutional discourse, in legal discourse in particular, the problem of developing the mechanisms to overcome terminological lacunarity becomes very significant, setting a task to find the most productive translation methods. Conducting complex linguistic analysis of lacunae in the Russian-language terminological system of criminal law emerged due to the internationalization of law in the conditions of development, enhancement of new information technologies and appearance of new highly-technological kinds of crimes using these technologies, demands employing a series of linguistic methods and approaches, particularly, content-analysis, component and etymological analysis, contrasting analysis aimed at comparing terminological gaps with extra-linguistic phenomena they represent, the research material includes legal online glossaries, reference and analytical materials of USA government agencies and information protection services, translation dictionaries. In the result of the conducted research the authors conclude that terminological gaps belonging to the sphere of criminal law are widely represented in English-language legal discourse. This can be explained by two objective tendencies typical of modern legal discourse, the tendency of internationalization of law and digitalization of English-language legal terminological system. The authors point out that conducting the linguistic analysis of terminological gaps demands applying a complex, multi-aspect, cross-disciplinary approach taking into consideration the data of allied areas of knowledge, particularly, criminal law, cultural studies of English-speaking countries as English-language non-equivalent units denote the concepts typical of English-language legal doctrines.