Te minologija / Te minology
2025, ol. 32, pp. 1–21
Con en s link / Tu inio nuo oda
ISSN 2669-2198 (online / elek oninis)
Copy igh © 2025 Ágo a Fó is and Ádám Rixe . Published by he Ins i u e o he Li huanian Language. This is
an Open Access a icle dis ibu ed unde he e ms o he C ea i e Commons A ibu ion Licence, which
pe mi s un es ic ed use, dis ibu ion, and ep oduc ion in any medium, p o ided he o iginal au ho and
sou ce a e c edi ed. // Išleido Lie u ių kalbos ins i u as. Šis s aipsnis y a a i os p ieigos, pla inamas pagal
„C ea i e Commons‚ p isky imo licencijos sąlygas, leidžiančias ne ibo ai naudo i, pla in i i a ku i u inį be
kokioje laikmenoje, nu odan au o ių i šal inį.
Recei ed: / Gau a: 2025-09-19. Accep ed: / P iim a: 2025-10-14. 1
THE STATUS AND TERMINOLOGY OF THE HUNGARIAN LEGAL
AND ADMINISTRATIVE LANGUAGE
1
Veng ų eisinės i adminis acinės kalbos s a usas bei e minija
ÁGOTA FÓRIS
Ká oli Gáspá Uni e si y o he Re o med Chu ch in Hunga y, Hunga y
E-mail: [email p o ec ed]u
ORCID ID: h ps://o cid.o g/0000-0002-7599-0323
Fields o esea ch: Applied linguis ics, Te minology, P o essional communica ion.
ÁDÁM RIXER
Ká oli Gáspá Uni e si y o he Re o med Chu ch in Hunga y, Hunga y
E-mail: [email p o ec ed]
ORCID ID: h ps://o cid.o g/0000-0002-6945-0312
Fields o esea ch: Ju isp udence, Adminis a i e law.
h ps://doi.o g/10.35321/ e m32-03
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ABSTRACT
The aim o he a icle is o p o ide an o e iew o he Hunga ian legal and adminis a i e language
and e minology, including he language o academic publica ions, highe educa ion and legisla ion, mo eo e ,
he a icle p esen s he ou line o he planned Hunga ian e minology s a egy, he s a us and he s a e o he
e minology o he Hunga ian legal and adminis a i e language.
The esea ch me hod is a e iew and e alua ion based on published a icles and discussions wi hin he
amewo k o he p ojec . We sugges ha acco ding o echnical s anda ds and e minology ecommenda ions,
e minology should be published in open e minology da abases, because e minology da abases a e impo an
ools o p omo ing na ional ha moniza ion o e minology. Abo e all, i would be essen ial o link he legal
and adminis a i e e minology s a egy o he gene al Hunga ian e minology s a egy. Since he language o
1
This esea ch was suppo ed by he p ojec i led ‚Is he e a need o legal and adminis a i e language e o m
in Hunga y? De eloping a e minology s a egy o legal and adminis a i e language‛ by he Facul y o Law a
he Ká oli Gáspá Uni e si y o he Re o med Chu ch in Hunga y, be ween 2022 and 2024.
2
science in Hunga y is bilingual, Hunga ian and English, we sugges p epa ing a e minology s a egy co e ing
bo h languages o law and adminis a ion acul ies and uni e si ies, and o shi owa ds addi i e bilingualism.
KEYWORDS: language policy and planning, e minology s a egy, Hunga ian e minology s a egy, legal and
adminis a i e language, clea communica ion.
ANOTACIJA
Šio s aipsnio ikslas – apž elg i eng ų eisinę i adminis acinę kalbą bei e minologiją, įskai an
mokslinių publikacijų, aukš ojo mokslo i eisės ak ų kalbą. Be o, s aipsnyje p is a omi planuojamos eng ų
e minologijos s a egijos apma ai i eng ų eisinės bei adminis acinės kalbos e minijos s a usas i būklė.
Ty imo me odas – apž alga i e inimas, g indžiami publikuo ais s aipsniais i diskusijomis p ojek o
kon eks e. Remian is echniniais s anda ais i e minologinėmis ekomendacijomis, e minus siūloma skelb i
a i ose e minų duomenų bazėse, nes šios bazės y a s a bus į ankis, ska inan is de in i e miniją nacionaliniu
mas u. Ypač s a bu susie i eisinės i adminis acinės e minologijos s a egiją su bend ąja eng ų
e minologijos s a egija. Kadangi mokslo kalba Veng ijoje y a d ikalbė – eng ų i anglų kalbos, siūloma
pa eng i abi kalbas apimančią e minologijos s a egiją eisės i adminis a imo akul e ams bei uni e si e ams
i pe ei i p ie papildomos d ikalbys ės modelio.
ESMINIAI ŽODŽIAI: kalbos poli ika i plana imas, e minologijos s a egija, eng ų e minologijos s a egija,
eisinė i adminis acinė kalba, aiški komunikacija.
INTRODUCTION
A wo-yea esea ch p ojec was conduc ed be ween 2022 and 2024 o examine and
de ine he cha ac e is ics ela ed o he s a us and co pus o legal and adminis a i e
language and e minology in Hunga y (Rixe 2023). This a icle will i s in oduce
e minology policy based on he ele an guidelines, as well as he backg ound o he
de elopmen o a Hunga ian e minology s a egy. Nex , we p esen he pu pose and
me hodology o he a icle. The sec ion p esen ing he esul s discusses he s a us o
Hunga ian legal and adminis a i e language, examining i s use in highe educa ion,
esea ch and legisla ion. In he nex chap e , we will look a how plain language and be e
communica ion ha e been p omo ed, and hen we will p esen he s eps ha ha e been
aken o make legal and adminis a i e e minology mo e accessible.
LANGUAGE POLICY AND PLANNING, AND TERMINOLOGY POLICY
The e m language planning was in oduced by Haugen (1959). La e , Kloss (1969)
dis inguished be ween s a us planning and co pus planning as hyponyms o language
planning. S a us planning e e s o he social and legal s a us o a language and i s unc ions,
whe eas co pus planning is conce ned wi h he o mal changes in a language (lexis, spelling,
e c.). Planning in ol es i s o all an assessmen o he communica ion p oblems ha
equi e co pus planning, he s a egies o o e come hese di icul ies and he asks ha need
o be sol ed a he na ional o in e na ional le el. Acco ding o Tolcs ai Nagy (2005: 233),
al hough he de elopmen o language planning i sel came om se e al di ec ions, i s
p inciples ha e always included bo h s a us and co pus planning. The di e en language
planning ends ha e buil on di e en his o ical adi ions and me hodologies, including
he p ac ice o adi ional language cul i a ion (see Nek apil 2008) and he codi ica ion
3
ac i i ies o he 19 h cen u y. Gazzola e al. poin ou ha he e a e many di e en ypes o
language policy and planning (LPP), and ha he LPP is a p ocess and a esul a he same
ime. The policy cycle’s s ages a e ‚(1) he eme gence o a language issue, (2) agenda-
se ing, (3) policy o mula ion and adop ion, (4) implemen a ion, and (5) e alua ion o wha
has been done, and he esul s ob ained‛ (Gazzola e al. 2024: 4).
Gene al language planning issues ha e been ex ended o LSP (language o special
pu poses) and e minology in he mo he ongue. The Guidelines o e minology policies, by
UNESCO (In o e m 2005), sepa a es gene al language planning om speci ic language
planning. The guidelines on e minology policies a i m ha language plays an impo an
ole in c ea ing and sus aining a knowledge-based socie y and in b idging he digi al di ide.
The digi al di ide co-occu s ‚wi h inequali y o access o in o ma ion and knowledge, which
is in u n associa ed wi h inequali y in linguis ic access‛ (In o e m 2005: V); and
‚Inadequa e e minology is one key ac o in he inequali y o linguis ic access, and i esul s
in ‘ unc ional illi e acy’ in he con ex s o accessing in o ma ion and using compu e s‛
(In o e m 2005: V).
BACKGOUND – DEVELOPMENT OF A HUNGARIAN TERMINOLOGY
STRATEGY
Fo decades, se e al in e na ional documen s ha e highligh ed he impo ance o
e minology in mul ilingualism, in p ese ing cul u al di e si y and in uni e sal access o
in o ma ion and knowledge. Gene al p inciples o a e minology s a egy we e i s
published in in e na ional documen s in he 2000s. Based on he UNESCO guidelines
(In o e m 2005), e minology policy is a se o o malized s a egies o coo dina ing
decisions and objec i es, and/o he e minology o a pa icula social g oup (e.g. a
pa icula linguis ic communi y) o s a e.
‚A na ional e minology policy is a public s a egy o mula ed a he le el o poli ical
decision making in a coun y o in a mo e o less au onomous language communi y <…>
wi h he aim o de eloping o egula ing eme ging and exis ing e minologies o an a ay o
pu poses‛ (In o e m 2005: 4).
Based on he ele an s anda d, e minology policy is a ‚se o p inciples and
s a egies used as a basis o de eloping and egula ing e minology o a speci ic language(s)
o domain(s)‛ (ISO 29383:2020).
Fo he de elopmen o a gene al Hunga ian e minology s a egy, as a s a ing poin ,
he UNESCO guidelines (In o e m 2005) and he ISO s anda d i led ISO 29383:2020
Te minology Policies – De elopmen and Implemen a ion has been used. The s anda d p o ides
a gene al guide bu , as i poin s ou in i s p e ace, in eali y no wo si ua ions a e exac ly he
same and each na ion’s o o ganiza ion’s e minology s a egy is necessa ily unique. A he
na ional le el, a e minology policy is usually in he o m o a legal documen o
4
in o ma ion s a egy, while in smalle o ganiza ions i is usually in he o m o guidelines o
wo k low and he use o suppo ing echnology, o en wi hou he wo d e minology.
Based on he UNESCO guidelines and di e en na ional p ac ices, he p epa a ion o
a Hunga ian na ional e minology s a egy ha e been p oposed in 2018. Rep esen a i es o
scien i ic ins i u es and o ganiza ions om Hunga y and ab oad pa icipa ed as in i ed
speake s a he con e ence o ganized o lay he g oundwo k o his. Toge he , he
con e ence o ganize s and speake s sough o coope a e and o es ablish a s a egy and o
ag ee on he p inciples ha would lead o he c ea ion o a Hunga ian e minology s a egy
and i s publica ion (Fó is, Bölcskei 2019b). The ecommenda ions o he de elopmen o a
Hunga ian e minology s a egy we e o mula ed in his olume by he au ho -edi o s. They
a e:
 ‚Publishing a medium- e m (4 o 10 yea s) s a egic plan, a so-called ‘G een
Pape ’ which can open he deba e, in o de o p epa e a documen abou he
e minology s a egy plans. Pu suan o Sec ion 38 o Go e nmen Dec ee
38/2012. (III. 12.) on s a egic go e nmen adminis a ion, he G een Pape
d aws a en ion o he mos impo an , un esol ed ques ions o e minology as a
policy a ea and ini ia es ha he bodies conce ned add ess he issues wi hin he
amewo k o he s a egic con ol o he go e nmen .
 P epa ing a so-called d a plan on e minology s a egy.
 Es ablishing an ad iso y boa d on e minology s a egy.
 Based on he eedback om o mula ing and publishing he e minology
s a egy d a plan: inalizing a de ailed e minology s a egy plan and
p og amme.
 Launching he Hunga ian Na ional Te minology Po al.
 Designing he Hunga ian Na ional Te minology Da abase and d awing up i s
cos plan, ma e ial and human esou ce p e equisi es‛ (Fó is, Bölcskei 2019a:
18).
A ew yea s a e , ollowing hese ecommenda ions, he HUN-REN Hunga ian
Resea ch Cen e o Linguis ics
2
has al eady been he ecipien o wo g an s in his a ea and
has published a G een Pape (P ószéky e al. 2023; www.ny ud.hu) con aining s a egic
e minology s udies o Hunga ian e minologis s. The G een Pape consis s o ou pa s: 1.
Gene al issues o e minology s a egy; 2. Speci ic issues o e minology s a egy; 3.
S anda ds and spelling; 4. Bibliog aphy. In Pa IV, a he end o he book, a selec ed
bibliog aphy on e minology s a egy has been published, a collec ion o li e a u e ocusing
on he gene al p inciples and me hods o e minology s a egy, o ganized a ound he
ollowing ou hemes: p inciples o e minology s a egy; e minology da abase design;
na ional public e minology da abases and po als in Eu ope and majo in e na ional
e minology da abases; publicly a ailable language da abases con aining Hunga ian e ms –
2
F om 1 Augus 2025: ELTE Resea ch Cen e o Linguis ics.
5
a ailabili y da a, cha ac e is ics (Fó is e al. 2023; abou he Hunga ian linguis ic co po a and
da abases, na ional and Eu opean p ojec s, see he book summa izing he esul s achie ed
wi h he lead o Tamás Vá adi (Dodé, Ludányi 2021)).
Al hough Gazzola e al. (2024: 1) loca e ‚language policy and planning i s and
o emos as a esponsibili y o go e nmen s (a he na ional, egional, local, and po en ially
in e na ional le el) and ele an bodies ac oss all a eas o public policy‛, in Hunga y, a
comp ehensi e, explici language policy p epa ed by he go e nmen does no exis ye .
Howe e , in ou iew, a public body such as he Hunga ian Academy o Sciences
(www.m a.hu) – in con inuous coope a ion wi h he ele an sec o s, uni e si ies and
e minology o ganiza ions
3
– could be sui able o manage i .
The emaining ecommenda ions, such as he es ablishmen o a na ional
e minology da abase and po al, we e implemen ed wi hin he amewo k o he Hunga ian
na ional e minology s a egy, which aimed o c ea e he Hunga ian Na ional Te minology
Da abase and a e minology po al (Fó is 2024a; publica ions on his opic om he p e ious
yea ha e been compiled in o a book: Fó is 2025).
PURPOSE AND METHODOLOGY
This a icle aims o p o ide an o e iew o Hunga ian legal and adminis a i e
language and e minology, including ha used in academic publica ions, highe educa ion
and legisla ion. This o e iew is based on he esul s o a wo-yea esea ch p ojec
conduc ed be ween 2022 and 2024.
The esea ch uses a case s udy me hodology o p o ide an in-dep h con en analysis
o he subjec wi hin i s eal-wo ld con ex . The e iew and summa y o esul s in ol e
p esen ing a comp ehensi e o e iew o he da a collec ed om mul iple sou ces, analysing
i o iden i y key hemes and pa e ns, and syn hesising hese indings in o a de ailed
desc ip ion. The analysis is based on published a icles and discussions wi hin he p ojec
amewo k, as well as li e a u e on legal and adminis a i e language and e minology, and
academic and p o essional websi es and monog aphs (syn hesis and analysis o p e ious
esea ch).
STATUS OF THE HUNGARIAN LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE
LANGUAGE
The Legal and Adminis a i e Language in Highe Educa ion
While i is widely acknowledged ha law and language a e in e wined (e.g., Ka pen,
Xan haki 2017; Tie sma, Solan 2021; Biel, Kockae 2023; Engbe g 2023; D inóczi e al.
2025), wi h law being implemen able h ough language, i is no ewo hy ha Hunga ian
3
Such as he Council o Hunga ian Te minology, MaTT, www.ma .hu.

6
uni e si ies a ely o e cou ses dedica ed o legal language o communica ion. The
ollowing sec ion will examine se e al cha ac e is ics o law educa ion.
Hunga ian is he language o ins uc ion a he eigh law acul ies and a he
Ludo ika Uni e si y o Public Se ice in he Hunga ian highe educa ion. On he one hand,
he opic o language and law s a ed o be discussed in highe educa ion, books abou law
and li e a u e we e published, cou ses ha e been in oduced in Hunga ian in all law acul ies
(Rixe 2012): o example a he Facul y o Law o Eö ös Lo ánd Uni e si y, Budapes
(ELTE) he e has been a ‘Law and Li e a u e’ cou se since 2017 and a he Facul y o Law o
he Ká oli Gáspá Uni e si y (KRE) since 2019 (see Feke e 2018). The Facul y o Law o
ELTE has also been hos ing a podcas i led ‘Law and Li e a u e’ on he uni e si y adio o
se e al yea s. The numbe o moo cou compe i ions o s uden s is inc easing (Rixe
2024) bo h in Hunga ian and English, and hese compe i ions ha e quickly become popula
among s uden s.
On he o he hand, only ou o he eigh Hunga ian law acul ies o e he o ic o
legal communica ion cou ses in eg a ed in o he cu iculum. Fo example, ‘Legal easoning
and communica ion’ is a compulso y cou se a he Facul y o Law o he Uni e si y o
Miskolc; likewise, ‘Legal Reasoning and Legal Rhe o ic’ is a compulso y cou se a he
Facul y o Law o he Pázmány Pé e Ca holic Uni e si y, and ‘Legal Communica ion’ a he
Facul y o Law o he Uni e si y o Pécs. The e is no speci ic cou se on linguis ics o
e minology in law schools, al hough linguis ic analysis is one o he basic skills o legal
wo k. One o he essen ial elemen s o he ela ionship be ween law and language (beyond
he ac ha all legal ins umen s a e exp essed in language) is ha he i s s ep in he
in e p e a ion o legisla ion and indi idual decisions is always he so-called g amma ical
in e p e a ion ha means analysing he wo ds, exp essions, concep s and ph ases in
legisla ion and indi idual decisions based on g amma ical ules and seman ics, and
compa ing hem wi h he his o ical ac s o he gi en case o be e alua ed. The ques ion
a ises whe he , i linguis ic analysis and legal e minology is such a cen al pa o he legal
p o ession, i is no jus i ied o each legal and adminis a i e LSP o legal e minology as a
sepa a e subjec a uni e si y le el legal educa ion. We do no see any examples o his in
Hunga y: he ele an knowledge is adi ionally ‘dispe sed’ be ween he a ious subjec s
(In oduc ion o law, Legal his o y, Legal communica ion, Legisla i e heo y, and dogma ic
knowledge o he a ious b anches o law) (e.g. D inóczi, No ák 2015). Howe e , clea and
accessible communica ion is conside ed by se e al au ho s as an e hical equi emen and is
inco po a ed in o he cu iculum o e hics cou ses in legal educa ion (Tó h 2017; Néme h
2022).
Legisla i e knowledge is usually augh in law acul ies in Hunga y as pa o he
basic legal cou ses (e.g. In oduc ion o Law, Cons i u ional Law), bu his is only one o
many opics in hese cou ses, and he linguis ic con ex is also e y limi ed. Recognizing
his, mos ins i u ions o e cou ses in Legisla i e S udies (Jogalko ás an, e.g. Facul y o Law
o KRE) o Legisla i e Theo y (Tö ényhozás an, e.g. Facul y o Law o he Uni e si y o
7
Pécs) as compulso y o op ional subjec s, whe e he linguis ic issues and con ex s a e also
mo e widely co e ed. Mo e in-dep h cou ses a e a ailable in he o m o Pos g adua e
T aining P og ams o law deg ee holde s (szakjogász szaki ányú o ábbképzés): he Facul y
o Law o he Pázmány Pé e Ca holic Uni e si y o e s u he aining in Public Se ice
Regula ion and Codi ica ion in Hunga ian (közszolgála i szabályozási és kodi ikációs szakjogász
szaki ányú o ábbképzés), and in 2024, he Széchenyi Is án Uni e si y o Győ launched a
Pos g adua e T aining P og am in Law and Go e nance in English. Among he acc edi ed
Pos g adua e T aining P og ams, he e used o be a specialized Legisla i e D a ing T aining
o Local Le el in Hunga ian (helyi jogszabály-sze kesz ő szakjogász szaki ányú o ábbképzés),
which has no been o e ed o some ime.
In highe educa ion in he ield o public adminis a ion (Ludo ika Uni e si y o
Public Se ice, Facul y o Public Go e nance), legisla i e issues a e emphasized in a
compulso y co e subjec (Szabályozás és kodi ikáció, in English: Regula ion and Codi ica ion),
bu e en wi hin his, he language sec ion is o mino impo ance.
O e all, i can be said ha eaching Hunga ian legal and adminis a i e language is
no a p io i y in he aining o lawye s and public adminis a o s in Hunga y. O cou se, he
si ua ion o he Hunga ian legal and adminis a i e language is also signi ican ly in luenced
by he ac ha , pa ly due o ERASMUS coope a ions, S ipendium Hunga icum
Schola ships, and pa ly due o he implici language s a egy o he go e nmen and
uni e si ies, he numbe o cou ses o e ed in English (and less equen ly in Ge man and
F ench) is g owing a law and adminis a ion acul ies; he numbe o English-language
pos g adua e aining p og ams and he numbe o English-language doc o al cou ses ha e
also inc eased signi ican ly in he las decade. Nine Hunga ian uni e si ies ha e doc o al
schools o law, and one uni e si y has a doc o al school o public adminis a ion
(www.dok o i.hu), and o icially Hunga ian is he language o ins uc ion in mos o hem,
howe e , doc o al s uden s a e gene ally expec ed o be able o publish in English, and
he e is he possibili y (and p ac ice) o w i e heses in English and a end classes in English.
(One o hese Uni e si ies is he And ássy Gyula Uni e si y, whe e he language o
ins uc ion is Ge man.) The e o e, in addi ion o Hunga ian, English has also become
impo an in academic w i ing and legisla ion. I is also becoming he language o
ins uc ion in many Hunga ian uni e si ies, as English Medium Ins uc ion (EMI).
The Legal and Adminis a i e Language in Resea ch and Publica ions
The e ha e been signi ican changes in academic esea ch ecen ly, a ec ing he
s a us and use o legal language. A decade ago, i was easy o make a lis o s udies and
monog aphs w i en by Hunga ian au ho s in o eign languages in ce ain a eas o law and
on ce ain opics (Rixe 2013). By oday, publishing in English and in e na ional esea ch
collabo a ions ha e become common. Se e al handbooks ha e been published in English,
one o hem is abou Hunga ian public adminis a ion e o m om 2010 unde he Magya y
8
Zol án Public Adminis a ion De elopmen P og am (Pa yi, Rixe 2014). In he case o
publica ions w i en in a o eign language, e en basic e ms and concep s (e.g. he use o he
e m közigazga ási eljá ásjogi ügy él, ‘pa y o an adminis a i e au ho i y p ocedu e’) equi e
a special explana ion.
English language publica ions can play a majo ole in he mo e consis en use o
English in he Hunga ian academic sphe e, and he desc ip ion o he e minology and
concep ual sys em o he Hunga ian legal and adminis a i e language in English. Rixe
(2013: 7) al eady no ed a decade ago ha English has aken o e he ole o he o me
La in, Ge man and Russian languages in becoming a media ing language in Hunga y, no
only in unde s anding neighbou ing people, bu also in a wide ange o sciences and
academic disciplines, including law and public adminis a ion (al hough i is s ill no
exclusi e, o cou se). He also poin ed ou ha in he case o English-language publica ions,
e minological and concep ual consis ency is o en lacking; and a Hunga ian and English
dic iona y o public law and adminis a ion would be necessa y. He d ew a en ion o he
need o he de elopmen o he Hunga ian adminis a i e law doc ine, because a cohe en ,
clea and anspa en use o adminis a i e (legal) e minology is a p e equisi e o g ea e
in ol emen in he in e na ional go e nance li e a u e (Rixe 2013: 21–22). Con empo a y
discou se has highligh ed he necessi y o a legal e minology da abase, which eplaces he
need o a dic iona y.
Today, conside ing he ecommenda ions o he e minology s a egy, and in line
wi h he opinion o D inóczi and No ák (2015), we conclude ha he e is a need o
e minological and concep ual ha moniza ion o he adminis a i e law, i s o all o build a
e minology da abase and o publish he Hunga ian e ms, concep s and he concep ual
ne wo k o adminis a i e law wi h English equi alen s. Te minology da abases a e
impo an ools o p omo ing na ional ha moniza ion o e minology and o he apid and
consis en publica ion o newly adop ed e ms.
Nowadays, he Hunga ian Academy o Sciences and he Hunga ian uni e si ies
conside publishing in English o be he mos impo an , and among he a ious academic
ca ee equi emen s, publica ions and ci a ions in English a e o g ea e alue han hose in
Hunga ian. The ques ion is: wha impac his change will ha e on he use o Hunga ian legal
and adminis a i e language, despi e he p o essional ad an ages and in e na ional bene i s
ha esul om i ? A p esen , i seems ha a academic le el, legal and adminis a i e
language use has al eady become bilingual: Hunga ian and English, bu he ques ion is
whe he he language o legisla u e and o adminis a ion and go e nance has al eady
eached Hunga ian and English bilingualism?
The Hunga ian Academy o Sciences has acknowledged he si ua ion as well. Since
i s ounda ion in 1825, one o i s key missions has been p omo ing he use o he Hunga ian
language. In 2023 he Academy launched a public online discussion o um abou Hunga ian
as a language o science. The main conclusions o he discussion o um ha e been published
on he Academy’s websi e: he Academy con inues o conside he Hunga ian language and
9
Hunga ian LSP’s as a ma e o na ional s a egic impo ance; suppo s he bilingual use o
Hunga ian and English in science, i.e. scien i ic bilingualism; p e e s suppo ing he
Hunga ian language p ima ily in he o m o digi al suppo ; and i also a gues o he
impo ance o English in sciences (MTAMN). Howe e , some Hunga ian linguis s a gue
ha he Academy ac ually does li le o suppo he use o Hunga ian as a scien i ic and
academic language (Fe enc 2018; Kon a 2025). In o he wo ds, he shi owa ds
bilingualism seems o a ou sub ac i e bilingualism a he han addi i e bilingualism,
while he la e would be mo e app op ia e (see Lambe 1981; Phillipson 2003; Kon a
2025).
The Legal and Adminis a i e Language in Legisla ion
The changing ci cums ances in ensi y, and e en make ine i able, he en o cemen o
he equi emen o no m cla i y in he Hunga ian legal and adminis a i e language, i.e. he
demand o sa is y he need o no ma i e and speci ic legal ac s o be as comp ehensible,
simple and anspa en as possible.
The g owing demands and expec a ions in his espec a e pe haps linked o he ac
ha he lack o cla i y o legal no ms has become no only a sou ce o incon enience bu
also a slowing ac o and a h ea o mode n ma ke economies and pa icipa o y mass
democ acies. The eal accessibili y o legal ex s is a (p e)condi ion o exe cising many
undamen al igh s, and he accessibili y o legal sou ces is also a cons i u ional manda e,
bu he e is no consensus on how o p esc ibe/ egula e, measu e, and en o ce accessibili y,
he eby imp o ing access o ex s.
Dec ee 61/2009. (XII. 14.) o he Minis e o Jus ice and Law En o cemen on he
D a ing o Legisla ion in Hunga y s a es ha d a legisla ion mus be wo ded in acco dance
wi h he ules o he Hunga ian language, in a clea , comp ehensible and consis en manne
(Sec ion 2). In he esea ch, Judi Tó h shows ha he equi emen o cla i y is o mula ed
as an expec a ion in a o al o 270 sou ces o law in he Hunga ian legal sys em, bu i s
con en – wha his means – is comple ely lacking in he legal ex s examined (Tó h 2023:
157). I is also impo an o no e ha he newe and newe wa es o de egula ion (in
Hunga y, on a e age e e y 4–5 yea s) do no usually con ain explici linguis ic objec i es.
The e ha e been se e al unsuccess ul go e nmen p og ams aiming a he
simpli ica ion, s anda diza ion and upg ading o he Hunga ian legal and adminis a i e
language in he las decade:
 The language sub-p og am o he Magya y Zol án Public Adminis a ion
De elopmen P og am was one o hem, whe e hey ied o simpli y he
language o egula ions (speci ically 11 Go e nmen Dec ees), bu hey we e
no success ul, because he in e nal complexi y o he legal sys em makes i
e y di icul o in e ene in language a an isola ed poin o he legal sys em
(Nagy 2014).
16
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