Latin Loanwords in Nigerian Legal and Administrative Discourse: A Lexical Study in Enugu State

Latin has been a cornerstone of Nigerian legal and administrative language since the colonial period, and its persistence in contemporary institutional discourse raises important questions about linguistic heritage, professional identity, and accessibility of justice. This study documents and analyses Latin loanwords and phrases currently in use in legal and administrative documents produced by institutions in Enugu State, South East Nigeria. A corpus-based methodology was adopted, collecting 120 legal documents from the Enugu State High Court, Government House, and Enugu State Civil Service Commission between 2020 and 2023. The corpus was analysed using content analysis to identify, categorise, and assess the semantic fields of Latin borrowings. Interviews with 30 legal practitioners and 15 court clerks explored professional attitudes toward Latin usage and its effect on lay comprehension. Findings reveal that Latin phrases remain prevalent in 87 percent of legal documents, with procedural Latin (habeas corpus, in camera, sub judice) being most frequent, followed by evidentiary terms and maxims. The majority of lay court users surveyed do not understand the Latin phrases used in proceedings affecting them. Legal practitioners hold divided views, with senior members defending Latin as a mark of professional precision and junior practitioners favouring plain language. The study concludes that Latin legal language simultaneously preserves institutional heritage and creates access barriers and recommends the parallel provision of lay translations in all public court documents.

Keywords: Latin loanwords, legal language, Enugu State, linguistic heritage, access to justice