NATIONAL-CULTURAL LACUNAE IN ENGLISH LEGAL DISCOURSE AND THEIR ETYMOLOGICAL BASIS

The article investigates national-cultural lacunae in English legal discourse and examines their etymological foundations within the framework of legal linguistics and linguoculturology. Legal discourse represents a complex interaction between language, culture, history, and legal consciousness. Due to the historical evolution of the English legal system, numerous legal terms and concepts emerged that possess no direct equivalents in other linguistic and legal traditions. These culturally specific lexical and conceptual gaps are defined as lacunae. The article analyzes the historical origins, semantic development, and cultural specificity of lacunar legal terminology in English legal discourse. Particular attention is devoted to the etymological sources of English legal vocabulary, including Anglo-Saxon, Norman French, Latin, and ecclesiastical influences. The study identifies the role of historical legal institutions in shaping national-cultural lacunae and explores translation challenges arising in intercultural legal communication. Comparative, etymological, descriptive, and discourse-analytical methods are employed to examine legal terminology from statutes, judicial opinions, and legal dictionaries. The findings demonstrate that legal lacunae are deeply rooted in the historical development of Common Law and reflect national legal mentality, institutional traditions, and sociocultural values. The research contributes to comparative legal linguistics, discourse studies, and translation theory by revealing the interdependence between etymology, culture, and legal semantics in English legal discourse.本文考察了英语法律话语中的民族文化法律空白（lacunae），并在法律语言学与语言文化学的框架下，探析其词源基础。法律话语是语言、文化、历史与法律意识之间的复杂互动体现。伴随英国法律体系的历史演进，催生了大量法律术语与概念，这些术语与概念在其他语言及法律传统中均无直接对应表达。这类具备文化特异性的词汇与概念空白，即被界定为民族文化法律空白。本文剖析了英语法律话语中涉及民族文化法律空白的法律术语的历史起源、语义流变与文化特质。研究尤为关注英语法律词汇的词源溯源，包括盎格鲁-撒克逊语、诺曼法语、拉丁语以及教会用语的影响。本研究阐明了历史法律制度在民族文化法律空白形成过程中所发挥的作用，并探析了跨文化法律交流中面临的翻译难题。本研究采用比较分析法、词源学分析法、描述分析法与话语分析法，对取自成文法、司法意见书及法律词典的法律术语进行考察。研究结果显示，法律空白深深植根于普通法（Common Law）的历史发展进程之中，同时映射出民族法律心理、制度传统与社会文化价值取向。本研究揭示了英语法律话语中词源学、文化与法律语义之间的内在关联，从而为比较法律语言学、话语研究及翻译理论的发展贡献了学术价值。