Doublets in Legal Writing (Part 1)
April 6, 2017
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06/04/17 Doublets
The doublet and triplet phrasing common in Middle English still survives in legal writing, especially contracts, wills, and trusts. That’s probably the worst possible soil for it to grow in because those who interpret legal writing (for example, translators!) are impelled to strain for distinctions so that no word is rendered surplusage. Yet that is exactly what all but one word (and often any one word) in each of the following phrases is.
Doublets
- agree and covenant
- amount or quantum
- annul and set aside
- answerable and accountable
- any and all
- appropriate and proper
- attached and annexed
- authorize and empower
- by and between
- cease and desist
- custom and usage
- deem and consider
- definite and certain
- deposes and says
- do and perform
- due and owing
- due and payable
- each and all
- each and every
Interesting! Surely hope so.
We’ll share many more examples in our next e-Legal Lesson!
