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1 - Interpretation and Statutory Interpretation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 December 2020

Douglas Walton ,
Fabrizio Macagno  and
Giovanni Sartor
Douglas Walton
Affiliation:
University of Windsor, Ontario
Fabrizio Macagno
Affiliation:
Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal
Giovanni Sartor
Affiliation:
Università di Bologna
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Summary

The English word “interpretation” comes from Latin interpretatio, from interpres, originally meaning an intermediary, broker, or agent, and then also an explainer or translator (De Vaan 2008, 307). In its turn interpres seems to have resulted from the fusion of inter (between) and praes, a word that possibly shares the same root with the Latin pretium (price), thus being linked to the idea of an economic exchange (lending, buying, or selling). The semantic area of “interpretation” is also covered by terms of Greek origin, such as “exegesis” and “hermeneutics,” often used in religious contexts.

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Type
Chapter
Information
Statutory Interpretation
Pragmatics and Argumentation
 , pp. 17 - 54
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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