Genus – Species and Whole – Part Relations in Legal Terms

Abstract

The research featured the way legal terms express the genus – species relationship (hyperonyms vs. hyponyms) and whole – part relationship (holonyms vs. meronyms / partonyms). The article introduces the basic differences in the relations of these types, as well as terminological variants. The author specified the related research terminology, the specific use of hyponyms / hyperonyms and holonyms / meronyms in the formation of a legislative definition, and the intra-text semantic correlation of concepts expressed by these relations. The author also defined the means and ways of expressing hyper-hyponymy and holonymy-meronymy: syntactic, grammatical, punctuation, numbering, graphic, speech markers, etc. The paper describes the main functions of legal hyponyms / hyperonyms and holonyms / meronyms: structuring the terminological system of law and the textual space of the law, official legal interpretation, the formation of an interpretation strategy, synonymous correlation, etc. It also mentions nominal (subject-conceptual, attributive) and verbal (procedural, effective) semantics. The research was based on the methods of conceptual, contextual, and comparative analysis of Russian legal texts, their classification and generalization. The research was based on Russian laws, as well as the Dictionary of Legislative Terms and Concepts, compiled by the author from federal laws.