False Friends

Transcript:

Hello!

Today we look at some false friends which are often found in Legal English but which may trick you if your are not careful! Let’s begin:

1. Actual ≠ Attuale

In English, actual means real, existing in fact—not attuale, which in Italian means current or present.

• The actual (effettivo) possession of the property was never transferred to the buyer;
• There is a difference between the legal owner and the actual (effettivo) occupant of the land.

Be careful: attuale proprietario = current owner, not necessarily the actual one!

2. Eventual ≠ Eventuale

Eventual means happening in the end, not possible or conditional like eventuale in Italian.

• The eventual (futuro) transfer of shares will occur upon the founder’s death;
• The trust deed names the son as the eventual (futuro) beneficiary of the estate.

Be careful: Beneficiario eventuale implies uncertainty; eventual beneficiary means a future, certain outcome.

3. Pretend ≠ Pretendere

To pretend means to make a false claim or simulate something—not to demand, expect, or claim a right (pretendere in Italian).

• The claimant pretended (ha finto) to have signed the contract under duress (coercizione) to invalidate it;
• The buyer pretended (ha finto) not to know about the building restriction on the land.

Be careful: Pretendere = to assert or demand; pretend = to fake or simulate.

4. Morbid ≠ Morbido

Morbid in English means dark, unsettling (inquietante), or related to disturbing subjects, especially death or conflict. It does not mean soft.

• The heir’s morbid (macabra) obsession with the testator’s death alarmed the family;
• There was a morbid (macabra) curiosity surrounding the long legal battle over the estate.

Be careful: Morbido = soft, gentle. Morbid = unhealthily fascinated with grim (tristi) topics.

5. Fabricate ≠ Fabbricare

To fabricate (in legal language) means to falsify, especially documents or facts. It does not mean to build or manufacture (fabbricare).

• The executor was accused of fabricating (di aver falsificato) a clause in the will;
• The seller fabricated (falsificato) information about the land’s zoning restrictions in the contract.

Be careful: Fabbricare = to construct (a building, for example); fabricate = to invent with intent to deceive (ingannare).

Thank you very much and see you next time for more Peter’s Pills to improve your Legal English!

---

Legal English – Sommario delle Lezioni

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 92 – False Friends

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 91 – Fee Estimate Headings – Part 5 – Unregistered deeds and formalities

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 90 – Fee Estimate Headings – Part 4 – Other

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 89 – Fee Estimate Headings – Part 3 – Mortis Causa

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 88 – Fee Estimate Headings – Part 2 – Corporate

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 87 – Fee Estimate Headings – Part 1 – Real Estate Deeds

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 86 – Traded, listed and quoted

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 85 – Sole Traders and Partnerships

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 84 – General English vs Legal English 2

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 83 – General English vs Legal English 1

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 82 – Next of kin

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 81 – File, Register and Enrol

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 80 – Securities

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 79 – Legatee vs Devisee

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 78 – Adverse possession

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 77 – Probate

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 76 – File a deed vs Record a deed

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 75 – Allotting shares, Issuing shares and Placing shares

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 74 – Personal Representatives

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 73 – Essential Elements of a Contract

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 72 – Types of cases: Cornerstone and Milestone cases

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 71 – Types of cases: Landmark cases

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 70 – Specific performance

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 69 – Wills

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 68 – Notice

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 67 – Bonds vs Debentures

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 66 – Person Persons People

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 65 – Financial Reporting Words

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 64 – Representations and Warranties

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 63 – Machine translations

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 62 – Legal Timelines

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 61 – Liens

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 60 – Test your Legal English

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 59 – Appurtenent vs In gross

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 58 – Building societies and Banks

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 57 – Valid, void and voidable contracts

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 56 – Rescission

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 55 – Golden expressions

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 54 – Pre-emption right vs Right of first refusal

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 53 – What do we mean by “agent” of a company?

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 52 – Voting at a meeting

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 51 – Contracts vs Deeds

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 50 – Executive and Non-Executive Directors

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 49 – Transfer of shares vs transmission of shares

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 48 – They, them, their for singular nouns

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 47 – Jointly and severally

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 46 – Invoice words

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 45 – Quotation

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 44 – Gazumping and Gazundering

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 43 – English words that the English do not understand

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 42 – Easement vs Profit à prendre

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 41 – er, -or and -ee names

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 40 – The Objects Clause

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 39 – When is Latin hot, and when is it not?

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 38 – Default

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 37 – Company Agent

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 36 – Injunction (false freind)

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 35 – Mortgage

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 34 – Freehold, Leasehold and Commonhold estates

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 33 – Transferor, Transferee and Transmittee

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 32 – Tax evasion, tax mitigation and tax avoidance

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 31 – Numbers

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 30 – Ordinary resolutions vs special resolutions

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 29 – AGM vs EGM

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 28 – A going concern

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 27 – Collocations: Violate, breach, break, disobey and infringe

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 26 – Company meeting words

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 25 – Mortgagor vs Mortgagee

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 24 – Fixed charges vs Floating charges

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 23 – Doctrine

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 22 – Construe

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 21 – Sign vs Execute

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 20 – The closing statement

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 19 – Writing Business Emails

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 18 – Limited companies

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 17 – Annual Accounts

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 16 – Meetings

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 15 – Attorney-at-law vs Attorney-in-fact

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 14 – Here and there compounds

• Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 13 – Subject Matter