McGraw-Hill's Spanish and English Legal Dictionary: Doccionario Juridico Ingles-Espanol

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For Tammy, Wills, and Olivia,

three stars shining on my life

Other books by the author

Dahl’s Law Dictionary / Dictionnaire Juridique Dahl

(New York, Paris, 2001)

Dahl’s Law Dictionary / Diccionario Jurídico Dahl

(New York, 1999)

Costa Rican Family Law

(The Hague, 2003)

West’s Law & Commercial Dictionary in Five Languages

(St. Paul, 1985)

Multinational Corporations

(Lanham/London, 1986)

Derecho Privado Soviético

(Buenos Aires, 1981)

Legal Accountability for Human Rights Violations in Argentina

(Kelhm am Rhein/Strasbourg/Arlington, 1987)

Contents

Introduction

Table of Abbreviations, Sources, and Copyright Acknowledgments

Dictionary:

Spanish-English

English-Spanish

Table of Key Words:

English to Spanish

Spanish to English

Índice

Introducción

Tabla de Abreviaciones, Fuentes y Propiedad Intelectual

Diccionario:

Español-Inglés

Inglés-Español

Tabla de Palabras Clave:

Inglés al Español

Español al Inglés

Introduction

McGraw-Hill’s Spanish and English Legal Dictionary is designed to help communication between people from different cultures. To this end, two important features characterize this dictionary. One is an extensive use of authoritative sources, like codes and legal writing, to provide definitions. The other is a thematic index, at the end, which allows a search by topic. This second feature is helpful when the reader knows what area he or she is interested in, but is not aware of the exact word being searched. The possibility of researching by topic allows the dictionary to be used in non-conventional ways. For instance, a person who has a meeting to discuss a certain issue can go to the index, find entries related to that topic, and build up vocabulary by reading them.

In addition to traditional bilingual definitions, the English-speaking reader will find terms in Latin American and Spanish law that are explained in English, while concepts in American and English law are explained in Spanish in the Inglés-Español half of the dictionary. Care has been placed in choosing the most basic and representative legal texts, such as constitutions, codes, statutes and legal writing to illustrate some of the definitions. An effort was made to include all branches of law, covering the wide fields of business transactions, constitutional issues, criminal law, family relations, procedural matters, etc. No area was emphasized more than others. To the contrary, we tried to be as generally inclusive as possible.

I hope that the reader will find in this dictionary a dynamic and practical tool for communication between different legal systems and languages. Those interested in researching deeper are referred to Dahl’s Law Dictionary / Diccionario Jurídico Dahl (3rd edition, NY, 1999) where lengthier definitions can be found.

Table of Abbreviations, Sources, and Copyright Acknowledgments

Spanish-English

1. STATUTORY, CODIFIED, AND CASE LAW

Bust. C., Bustamante Code.

C.R. C. of Civ. P., Costa Rican Code of Civil Procedure.

Conv. on Checks, Inter-American Convention on Conflicts of Laws Concerning Checks.

Conv. on Intl. Comm. Arb., Inter-American Convention on International Commercial Arbitration.

Conv. on Power of Att., Inter-American Convention on the Legal Regime of Powers of Attorney to be Used Abroad.

Conv. on Prev. Meas., Inter-American Convention on Execution of Preventive Measures.

FLL., Ley Federal del trabajo (Mexico), Federal Labor Law.

Incoterms. INCOTERMS, 1990, Spanish and English Edition, by the International Chamber of Commerce.

LPRA., Laws of Puerto Rico Annotated. The Spanish version is called Leyes de Puerto Rico Anotadas.

Lou. Civ. C., Louisiana Civil Code.

Mex. Civ. C., Mexican Civil Code.

Mex. Com. C., Mexican Commercial Code.

PR Mort. Law 1979, Puerto Rican Mortgage Law, 1979.

PRR., Puerto Rico Reports. The Spanish version is called Decisiones de Puerto Rico.

Sp. Civ. C., Spanish Civil Code, originally Código Civil Español. Official translation published in Revised Statutes and Codes of Porto Rico, published by authority of the Legislative Assembly (1901).

Sp. Com. C., Spanish Commercial Code, originally Código de Comercio Español. Official translation published in Revised Statutes and Codes of Porto Rico, published by authority of the Legislative Assembly (1901).

Sp. L. Civ. P., Spanish Law of Civil Procedure, originally Ley Española de Enjuiciamiento Civil. Official translation published in Revised Statutes and Codes of Porto Rico, published by authority of the Legislative Assembly (1901). There is another English version published by the U.S. War Department, Division of Insular Affairs (1901).

Sp. L. Crim. P., Spanish Law of Criminal Procedure, originally Ley Española de Procedimiento Criminal. Official translation published in Revised Statutes and Codes of Porto Rico, published by authority of the Legislative Assembly (1901). There is another English version published by the U.S. War Department, Division of Insular Afffairs (1901).

St. P.C. for LA., Standard Penal Code for Latin America, originally Código Penal Tipo Para América Latina. A full English translation with a related article is published in (17) 3 American Journal of Criminal Law 235-285 (1990), by José M. Canales and Henry Dahl.

Unidroit, Princ., Principles for International Commercial Contracts, Study L-Doc. 40 Rev. 13. Rome 1994. Spanish version under the direction of Alejandro M. Garro.

2. LEGAL WRITING

Alonso Penã, A., from an essay on Argentine law (1996).

Amado, J. Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Latin American Countries: An Overview and Update, by José Daniel Amado, in Virginia Journal of International Law, Vol 31:99, 1990, pp. 99-304.

Mex. Labor Law. A Primer on Mexican Labor Law. U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of International Labor Affairs, 1991. Translation from English to Spanish of Regimen jurídico de protección de los Trabajadores en México, by Nestor de Buen Lozano y de Carlos E. Buen Unna.

Barrios-Mannucci, J. E. Contractual Responsibility and Torts in Latin America, in Texas Transnational Law Quarterly, Vol. 12, May 96, Nr. 1, pp. 34-54.

Bell, Bell’s Dictionary and Digest of the Law of Scotland, 7th ed.

Comparison of Labor Law. A Comparison of Labor Law in the United States and Mexico: An Overview, by the Secretaría del Trabajo y Previsión Social (Mexico) and the United States of America Department of Labor, 1992.

Escriche, Diccionario de Legislación y Jurisprudencia.

LA Laws & Inst. Latin American Laws and Institutions, by A.S. Golbert and Y. Nun, Praeger, 1982. Reprinted with permission of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc., Westport, Connecticut.

L & D in LA. Law and Development in Latin America. Law and Development in Latin America: A Casebook. By Kenneth Karst and Keith Rosenn, University of California Press, 1975.

Orihuela, S. Latin America: A New Era for Mining Investment, in The International Lawyer, Spring 1996, Vol. 30, Nr. 1, pp. 31-56.

Pratter, J. Mexican Law in English, by Jonathan Pratter, in Texas Transnational Law Quarterly, Vol. II, July 95, Nr. 2, pp. 26-29.

Rosenn, K. Federalism in the Americas in Comparative Perspective, by Keith S. Rosenn, Inter-American Law Review, Fall 1994, Volume 26, Number 1, pp. 1-50.

Vargas, J. A. Conflict of Laws in Mexico: The New Rules Introduced by the 1988 Amendments, in The International Lawyer, Fall 1994, Vol. 28, Nr. 3, pp. 692-694.

W. Eur. & LA Leg. Sys. Western European and Latin American Legal Systems. Comparative Law: Western European and Latin American Legal Systems, by J. H. Merryman and D. S. Clark. The Michie Company, 1978.

English-Spanish

1. STATUTORY, CODIFIED, AND CASE LAW

C.C.U. Código de Comercio Uniforme, originally Uniform Commercial Code. Copyright 1987 by the American Law Institute and the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. Reprinted with the permission of the Permanent Editorial Board for the Uniform Commercial Code.

Cód. Pen. Mod. Comentarios al Código Penal Modelo para los E.E. U.U., by Ernesto Chiesa Aponte, Jaime E. Granados Peña and Antonio José Cancino M., Editorial Jurídica Futuro, Bogotá, 1993.

D.P.R. Decisiones de Puerto Rico. The English version is called Puerto Rico Reports.

Incoterms. INCOTERMS, 1990. Spanish and English Edition, by the International Chamber of Commerce.

LPRA. Leyes de Puerto Rico Anotadas. The English version is called Laws of Puerto Rico Annotated.

R. Fed. Evid. Reglas Federales de Evidencia.

R. Fed. P. Civ. Reglas Federales de Procedimiento Civil, originally Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Spanish version published in Práctica Forense Federal, Equity Publishing Corporation.

R. Fed. P. Crim. Reglas Federales de Procedimiento Criminal, originally Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, Spanish version published in Práctica Forense Federal, Equity Publishing Corporation.

Rstmnt, 2nd, Conflict. Restatement of the Law, 2d., Conflict of Laws. No previous translations exist. Copyright by The American Law Institute. Translated and published with the permission of The American Law Institute.

Rstmnt, 2nd, Con. Restatement of the Law, 2d., Contracts. No previous translations exist. Copyright by The American Law Institute. Translated and published with the permission of The American Law Institute.

Rstmnt, 2nd, Judg. Restatement of the Law, 2d., Judgments. No previous translations exist. Copyright by The American Law Institute. Translated and published with the permission of The American Law Institute.

Rstmnt, 2nd, Torts. Restatement of the Law, 2d., Torts. No previous translations exist. Copyright by The American Law Institute. Translated and published with the permission of The American Law Institute.

R. Fed. P. Civ. Reglas Federales de Procedimiento Civil, originally Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Spanish version published in Práctica Forense Federal, Equity Publishing Corporation.

Unidroit, Pric. Principios para los Contratos Mercantiles Internacionales. Translation into Spanish, under the direction of Alejandro M. Garro, from the English text published as Study L-Doc. 40 Rev. 13 (Rome, 1994).

2. LEGAL WRITING

Carl, B. (Prof. Beverly May Carl), originally in the article El Derecho Internacional Privado en los Estados Unidos y la Creación de un Puente entre los Diversos Sistemas Jurídicos de las Américas.

Morales Lebrón, M. (Prof. Mariano Morales Lebrón) originally in Diccionario Jurídico Según la Jurisprudencia del Tribunal Supremo (San Juan, 1977).

Intro al USA. Introducción al Sistema Legal de USA. E. Allan Farnsworth, Introducción al Sistema Legal de los Estados Unidos, Editorial Zavalía (1990, Buenos Aires), translated by Horacio Abeledo. Published originally in English as Introduction to the Legal System of the United States.

Stuchiner, T. B. (Theresa Berlin Stuchiner, LL.B.), originally in Delitos y Penas en los Estados Unidos, translated into Spanish and introduction written by Fernando Diaz Palos, Barcelona, Editorial Bosch, 1ra Edición.

Other Abbreviations Used

GEOGRAPHIC

AR

Argentina

CA

Central America

CH

Chile

CO

Colombia

CR

Costa Rica

GB

Great Britain

GU

Guatemala

HO

Honduras

ME

Mexico

NI

Nicaragua

PR

Puerto Rico

SP

Spain

UR

Uruguay

NONGEOGRAPHIC

Crim.

Criminal

(L)

Latin

Mar.

Maritime

(s)

noun

(v)

verb

Introducción

El Diccionario Jurídico Inglés y Español McGraw-Hill está diseñado para facilitar la comunicación entre gente de culturas distintas. Para ello, dos importantes elementos caraterizan esta obra. Uno es el uso extenso de fuentes fehacientes, como códigos y doctrina para brindar definiciones. Otro es un índice temático, al final, que permite una búsqueda por tópico. Este segundo elemento es util cuando el lector conoce el área de su interés, pero no sabe que término específico está buscando. La posibilidad de una búsqueda temática permite usar el diccionario en formas no-convencionales. Por ejemplo, una persona que tuviese una entrevista para discutir cierto tema, podría ir al índice, hallar entradas relativas a tal tema y mejorar su vocabulario leyendo tales definciones.

Además de las tradicionales definiciones bilingües, el lector hispanohablante encontrará términos del derecho estadounidense e inglés explicados en español, en la sección English-Spanish del diccionario, y también conceptos del derecho latinoamericano y español explicados en inglés. Hemos elegido cuidadosamente los textos jurídicos más representativos, como constituciones, códigos, leyes y doctrina para ilustrar algunas de las definiciones. Pusimos empeño en incluir todas las ramas jurídicas, cubriendo el vasto campo de transacciones comerciales, temas constitucionales, derecho penal, relaciones familiares, cuestiones procesales, etc. Ninguna área se enfatizó más que otras. Al contrario, tratamos de ser tan inclusivos como era posible.

Esperamos que el lector halle aquí un diccionario dinámico así como una herramienta práctica de comunicación entre sistemas jurídicos y lenguas diferentes. Se refiere a aquéllos interesados en una investigación más profunda al Dahl’s Law Dictionary / Diccionario Jurídico Dahl (3ra edición, NY, 1999), donde podrán encontrar definiciones más extensas.

Tabla de Abreviaciones, Fuentes y Propiedad Intelectual

Español-Ingles

1. LEYES, CODIFICACIONES Y FALLOS

Bust. C., Código Bustamante.

C.R. C. of Civ. P., Costa Rican Code of Civil Procedure, Código Procesal Civil de Costa Rica.

Conv. on Checks, Inter-American Convention on Conflicts of Laws Concerning Checks, Convención Interamericana sobre Conflicto de Leyes en Materia de Cheques.

Conv. on Intl. Comm. Arb., Inter-American Convention on International Commercial Arbitration, Convención Interamericana sobre Derecho Comercial Internacional.

Conv. on Power of Att., Inter-American Convention on the Legal Regime of Powers of Attorney to be Used Abroad, Convención Interamericana sobre el Regimen Legal de Poderes para ser Utilizados en el Extranjero.

Conv. on Prev. Meas., Inter-American Convention on Execution of Preventive Measures, Convención Interamericana sobre Cumplimiento de Medidas Cautelares.

FLL., Ley Federal del Trabajo (México).

Incoterms., INCOTERMS, 1990. Edición Inglesa y Española, por la Cámara de Comercio Internacional.

LPRA., Laws of Puerto Rico Annotated. La versión Española es Leyes de Puerto Rico Anotadas.

Lou. Civ. C., Louisiana Civil Code, Código Civil de Luisiana.

Mex. Civ. C., Código Civil Mexicano.

Mex. Com. C., Código de Comericio Mexicano.

PR Mort. Law 1979, Puerto Rican Mortgage Law, 1979, Ley Hipotecaria de Puerto Rico, 1979.

PRR., Puerto Rico Reports. La versión española es Decisiones de Puerto Rico.

Sp. Civ. C., Spanish Civil Code, originalmente Código Civil Español. Traducción oficial publicada en Revised Statutes and Codes of Porto Rico, publicada por orden de la Asamblea Legislativa (1901).

Sp. Com. C., Spanish Commercial Code, originalmente Código de Comercio Español. Traducción oficial publicada en Revised Statutes and Codes of Porto Rico, publicada por orden de la Asamblea Legislativa (1901).

Sp. L. of Civ. P., Spanish Law of Civil Procedure, originalmente Ley Española de Enjuiciamiento Civil. Traducción oficial publicada en Revised Statutes and Codes of Porto Rico, publicada por orden de la Asamblea Legislativa (1901). Existe otra versión inglesa, publicada por el U.S. War Department, Division of Insular Affairs (1901).

Sp. L. of Crim. P., Spanish Law of Criminal Procedure, originalmente Ley Española de Procedimiento Criminal. Traducción oficial publicada en Revised Statutes and Codes of Porto Rico, publicada por orden de la Asamblea Legislativa (1901). Existe otra versión inglesa, publicada por el U.S. War Department, Division of Insular Affairs (1901).

St. P.C. for LA., Standard Penal Code for Latin America, originalmente Código Penal Tipo para América Latina. Una traducción completa, con un artículo explicativo aparece en (17) 3 American Journal of Criminal Law 235-285 (1990), por José M. Canales y Henry Dahl.

Unidroit, Princ., Principles for International Commercial Contracts, Study L-Doc. 40 Rev. 13. Rome 1994. Versión española bajo la dirección de Alejandro M. Garro.

2. DOCTRINA

Alonso Peña, A., de un ensayo sobre derecho argentino (1996).

Amado, J. Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Latin American Countries: An Overview and Update, por José Daniel Amado, en Virginia Journal of International Law, Vol 31:99, 1990, pp. 99-304.

Mex. Labor Law. A Primer on Mexican Labor Law. U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of International Labor Affairs, 1991. Traducción del inglés al español de Régimen Jurídico de Protección de los Trabajadores en México, por Nestor de Buen Lozano y de Carlos E. Buen Unna.

Barrios-Mannucci, J. E. Contractual Responsibility and Torts in Latin America, en Texas Transnational Law Quarterly, Vol. 12, Mayo 96, Nr. 1, pp. 34-54.

Bell, Bell’s Dictionary and Digest of the Law of Scotland, 7th ed.

Comparison of Labor Law. A Comparison of Labor Law in the United States and Mexico: An Overview, por la Secretaría del Trabajo y Previsión Social (Mexico) y por el United States of America Department of Labor, 1992.

Escriche, Diccionario de Legislación y Jurisprudencia.

LA Laws & Inst. Latin American Laws and Institutions, por A.S. Golbert e Y. Nun, Praeger, 1982. Reimpreso con permiso de Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc., Westport, Connecticut.

L & D in LA. Law and Development in Latin America. Law and Development in Latin America: A Casebook. Por Kenneth Karst y Keith Rosenn, University of California Press, 1975.

Orihuela, S. Latin America: A New Era for Mining Investment, en The International Lawyer, Spring 1996, Vol. 30, Nr. 1, pp. 31-56.

Pratter, J. Mexican Law in English, por Jonathan Pratter, en Texas Transnational Law Quarterly, Vol. II, Julio 95, Nr. 2, pp. 26-29.

Rosenn, K. Federalism in the Americas in Comparative Perspective, por Keith S. Rosenn, Inter-American Law Review, Fall 1994, Vol. 26, Nr. 1, pp. 1-50.

Vargas, J. A. Conflict of Laws in Mexico: The New Rules Introduced by the 1988 Amendments, en The International Lawyer, Fall 1994, Vol. 28, Nr. 3, pp. 692-694.

W. Eur. & LA Leg. Sys. Western European and Latin American Legal Systems. Comparative Law: Western European and Latin American Legal Systems, por J. H. Merryman y D. S. Clark. The Michie Company, 1978.

Ingles-Español

1. LEYES, CODIFICACIONES Y FALLOS

C.C.U., (Código de Comercio Uniforme), originalmente Uniform Commercial Code. Copyright 1987 de The American Law Institute and the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. Reproducido con permiso del Permanent Editorial Board for the Uniform Commercial Code.

Cód. Pen. Mod., Comentarios al Código Penal Modelo para los E.E. U.U., por Ernesto Chiesa Aponte, Jaime E. Granados Peña y Antonio José Cancino M., Editorial Jurídica Futuro, Bogotá, 1993.

D.P.R., (Decisiones de Puerto Rico). La versión inglesa se llama Puerto Rico Reports.

Incoterms., INCOTERMS, 1990. Edición Inglesa y Española, por la Cámara Internacional de Comercio.

LPRA., Leyes de Puerto Rico Anotadas. La versión inglesa se llama Laws of Puerto Rico Annotated.

R. Fed. Evid., Reglas Federales de Evidencia.

R. Fed. P. Civ., Reglas Federales de Procedimiento Civil, originalmente Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, versión española publicada en Práctica Forense Federal, Equity Publishing Corporation.

R. Fed. P. Crim., Reglas Federales de Procedimiento Criminal, originalmente Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, versión española publicada en Práctica Forense Federal, Equity Publishing Corporation.

Rstmnt, 2nd, Conflict., Restatement of the Law, 2d., Conflict of Laws. Restatement, Conflicto de Leyes. No existe una traducción anterior. Copyright de The American Law Institute. Traducido y publicado con permiso de The American Law Institute.

Rstmnt, 2nd, Con., Restatement of the Law, 2d., Contracts. Restatement, Contratos. No existe una traducción anterior. Copyright de The American Law Institute. Traducido y publicado con permiso de The American Law Institute.

Rstmnt, 2nd, Judg., Restatement of the Law, 2d., Judgments. Restatement, Sentencias. No existe una traducción anterior. Copyright de The American Law Institute. Traducido y publicado con permiso de The American Law Institute.

Rstmnt, 2nd, Torts., Restatement of the Law, 2d., Torts. Restatement, Cuasidelitos. No existe una traducción anterior. Copyright de The American Law Institute. Traducido y publicado con permiso de The American Law Institute.

Unidroit, Prin., Principios para los Contratos Mercantiles Internacionales. Traducción al español, bajo la dirección de Alejandro M. Garro, del texto inglés publicado como Study L-Doc. 40 Rev. 13 (Roma, 1994).

2. DOCTRINA

Carl, B. (Prof. Beverly May Carl), originalmente en el artículo El Derecho Internacional Privado en los Estados Unidos y la Creación de un Puente entre los Diversos Sisternas Jurídicos de las Américas.

Morales Lebrón, M. (Prof. Mariano Morales Lebrón) originalmente en Diccionario Jurídico Según la Jurisprudencia del Tribunal Supremo (San Juan, 1977).

Intro al USA., Introducción al Sistema Legal de USA. E. Allan Farnsworth, Introducción al Sistema Legal de los Estados Unidos, Editorial Zavalía (1990, Buenos Aires), traducido por Horacio Abeledo. Publicado originalmente en inglés como Introduction to the Legal System of the United States.

Stuchiner, T. B. (Theresa Berlin Stuchiner, LL.B.), originalmente en Delitos y Penas en los Estados Unidos, traducido al Español, y la introducción escrita por Fernando Diaz Palos, Barcelona, Editorial Bosch, 1ra Edición.

Otras Abreviaciones Usadas

GEOGRÁFICAS

AR

Argentina

CA

America Central

CH

Chile

CO

Colombia

CR

Costa Rica

GB

Gran Bretaña

GU

Guatemala

HO

Honduras

ME

México

NI

Nicaragua

PR

Puerto Rico

SP

España

UR

Uruguay

NO GEOGRÁFICAS

Crim.

Criminal

(L)

Latín

Mar.

Maritime

(s)

sustantivo

(v)

verbo

Spanish-English

A

A buen recaudo. In a safe place. In a secure position.

A cargo de. Under the responsibility of. In charge of.

A cargo y riesgo. At one’s cost and risk.

A continuación. Hereinafter, following.

A contrario sensu (L). By contrary logic or meaning. A construction device or technique expressed in terms like: if the statute says that X and Z are banned, it is implicitly stating that Y is allowed.

A corto plazo. Short term.

A costa de. At the expense of.

A cuenta. On one’s account.

A destajo. Payment by each piece or unit.

A días vista. The number of days in which payment of a debt becomes due after a specific event has happened, e.g. the protest (protesto) of a promissory note (pagaré).

A granel. Bulk, without wrapping or packaging.

A instancia de parte. On motion.

A jornal. Payment by the day.

A la orden. To order.

A la par. Par value.

A la vista. On sight. Note payable on demand.

A mano. At hand, available, close. Even.

A mano armada. Using fire arms.

A nombre propio. In his (her) own name.

A non domino (L). The fact of buying property from a person whom is not the owner. Usually this situation does not result in the transfer of ownership. The party who paid the price only has a personal action for reimbursement against the one who said to be the owner.

A petición. On demand.

A puerta cerrada. Behind closed doors, in chambers. Hearing, deliberation or other proceeding where the public is generally excluded.

A quemarropa. Shot fired from such a short distance that it is impossible to miss.

A quo (L). From which, the court from where the case has been sent. A companion Latin expression is ad quem, or to whom, meaning the court where the case has been sent. Normally the District Court would be the a quo while the Court of Appeals would be the ad quem. In motions it is customary to capitalize the phrase.

A ruego. By request. Term usually employed to indicate that a person unable to sign requests another to sign on his behalf. The expression is firma a ruego, signature by request.

A sabiendas. Knowingly, consciously.

A salvamano. In a very safe way.

A sangre fría. In cold blood.

A sangre y fuego. Causing great death and destruction.

A sobrehora. Unduly late.

A tenor de. In conformity with, according to. E.g. a tenor del artículo 33 … in conformity with article 33.

A una voz. Unanimously.

Ab intestato (L). Intestate probate proceedings.

Abanderado. Flag bearer, valedictorian. Champion of a cause.

Abandonar. To abandon, desert, forsake, relinquish, renounce, waive.

Abandono. Abandon, abandonment, desertion, relinquishment, renunciation.

Abandono del servicio. Dereliction of service. Dereliction of service—which justifies the suspension or dismissal of a State employee—is not any kind of absence of the employee, but the unauthorized absences of a vicious nature and without a reasonable justification. (Lebron v. Personnel Board, 100 PRR-163).

Abaratamiento. Reduction in price.

Abarcar. To embrace, entail, comprehend, contain, cover, include, involve.

Abastecer. To supply, furnish, provide.

Abastecimiento. Supply.

Abdicación. Abdication.

Abdicar. To abdicate, renounce, resign, surrender, yield.

Aberración. Aberration, abnormality, anomaly.

Aberrante. Aberrant, abnormal, sick.

Abigeato. Stealing of cattle.

Abigeo. Cattle thief, rustler.

Abintestato. Intestate proceedings. In order to be able to institute intestate proceedings, it is necessary: 1) That there is information of the recent death of the principal. 2) That the existence of a testamentary disposition is not known. (Sp. L. Civ. P. sec 959).

Abjurar. To abjure, disavow, forsake, relinquish, repudiate, retract.

Abofetear. To slap, spank, whack.

Abogacía. Legal profession, lawyering.

Abogado. Lawyer, attorney, advocate, barrister (GB), counsel, counselor, defender, solicitor (GB).

Abogado de empresa. In-house counsel, corporate attorney, transactional attorney.

Abogado interviniente. Attorney of record.

Abogar. To advocate, plead, support.

Abolición. Abolition, abolishment, banning, eradication.

Abolicionismo. Abolitionism, abolishment, elimination, eradication.

Abolir. To abolish, abrogate, annul, cancel, revoke.

Abonar. To pay.

Abordaje (mar.) Collision (mar.). If a vessel should collide with another through the fault, negligence, or lack of skill of the captain, sailing master, or any other member of the complement, the owner of the vessel at fault shall pay indemnity for the loss and damage suffered, after an expert appraisal. (Sp. Com. C., sec. 826/28, 830).

Abortar. To abort, to have a miscarriage, to thwart.

Aborto. Abortion, miscarriage.

Abrevadero. Trough.

Abrir. To open, release, unlock.

Abrir a viva fuerza. Break open.

Abrogación. Abrogation, annulment, cancellation, repeal.

Abrogar. To abrogate, annul, invalidate, void.

Absentismo. Absenteeism.

Absolución. Absolution, acquittal, exculpation, dismissal, pardon.

Absolución de posiciones. Answering of interrogatories by a party.

Absolución de preguntas. Answering of questions by a witness.

Absoluto. Absolute, complete, total.

Absolutorio. Absolutory.

Absolvente. Deposing party.

Absolver. To absolve, acquit, clear, exculpate.

Absorción de empresas. Merger, acquisition, takeover.

Abstención de sentencia. Arrest judgment.

Abstenerse de. To abstain, refrain from.

Abstinencia. Abstinence, continence, self restraint.

Absurdo. Absurd, absurdity, nonsense.

Abuela. Grandmother/ascendant.

Abuelo. Grandfather/ascendant.

Abulia. Lethargy, apathy, disinterest, indolence, passivity.

Abusivo. Abusive, disparaging.

Abuso. Abuse, misuse.

Abuso de confianza. Abuse of trust.

Abuso de derecho. Abuse of rights. Rights must be exercised in conformity with principles of good faith. The law does not protect the abusive or the antisocial use of a right. Abuse of a law is to rely on a legal provision, on a law closing the eyes to the reality of the facts, to the course of the world, and to act as if only that provision were a reality, even though trailing off the roads of justice and of equity. (Berrios v. International Gen. Electric, 88 PRR 106 (1963)).

Acaparador. Person who stashes away.

Acaparar. To stash, cache, hoard, monopolize, store.

Acápite. Paragraph, section in a page.

Acarreador. Carrier.

Acatamiento. Respect and obedience to a legal system, a contract, a court or any other institution.

Acatar. To obey, comply with, conform, follow an order.

Acceder. To express consent or agreement. To have access to.

Accesión. Accession. The ownership of a thing by accession includes the ownership of everything that it produces or is united with it, either naturally or artificially. (Louisiana Civ. Code art. 482).

Accesión, derechos. Accession, rights. In virtue of accession the following belong to the owner:

I. Natural fruits;

II. Industrial fruits;

III. Legal gains. (Mex. Civ. C., art. 887).

Accesión sobre y bajo la superficie. Accession above and below the surface. Unless otherwise provided by law, the ownership of a tract of land carries with it the ownership of everything that is directly above or under it. (Louisiana Civ. Code art. 490).

Acceso. Admission, admittance, entrance.

Acceso carnal. Sexual intercourse, penetration.

Accesorio. Accessory, ancillary, appendage, supplement.

Accidental. Accidental, unintentional, coincidental, by chance.

Accidente. Accident. In the field of insurance, the term accident means an unforeseen, sudden, or unexpected happening from the point of view of the one sustaining the damage and not of the tort-feasor. (Barrietos v. Gov. of the Capital, 97 PRR 539 (1969)).

     Casualty, misfortune, mishap.

Accidente compensable. Compensable accident. For the purposes of the Workmen’s Accident Compensation Act, the accident suffered by a workman or employee is a compensable accident, if it is the result of an act or function inherent to his work or employment and occurs in the course thereof or as a consequence of same. (B.C.R. Co., Inc. v. Superior Court, 100 PRR 753 (1971)).

Accidente de trabajo. Labor accident.

Accidente inevitable. Unavoidable accident.

Acción. Action, lawsuit, suit, case, proceedings. Share, stock certificate. Motion, movement.

Acción accesoria. An accessory action.

Acción cambiaria. An action filed for the collection of a check, a note or some other commercial paper. This type of lawsuit allows only limited defenses, such as that of forgery or payment.

Acción civil por un delito. Civil action based on a crime. A criminal action arises from every crime or misdemeanor for the punishment of the culprit, and a civil action may also arise for the restitution of the thing, the repair of the damage, and the indemnity of the losses caused by the punishable act. (Sp. L. Crim. P., art. 100).

Acción contractual. Contractual remedy, action in contract.

Acción de jactancia. Action in jactitation. Originally used in Spain when someone claimed to possess certain rights, e.g. to a future inheritance—which someone else wanted to contest. Historically, this type of action is the origin of sentencias declarativas (declaratory judgments).

Acción de reducción. Action for reduction of excessive donations. Any disposal of property, whether inter vivos or mortis causa, exceeding the quantum of which a person may legally dispose to the prejudice of the forced heirs, is not null, but only reducible to that quantum. (Louisiana Civ. Code art. 1502).

Acción declarativa. Declaratory action.

Acción diferida. Deferred stock.

Acción negatoria de paternidad. Action in disavowal of paternity. The husband can disavow paternity of a child if he proves by a preponderance of the evidence any facts which reasonably indicate that he is not the father. (Louisiana Civ. Code art 187).

Acción oblicua. Oblique action. If an obligor causes or increases his insolvency by failing to exercise a right, the obligee may exercise it himself, unless the right is strictly personal to the obligor. (Louisiana Civ. Code art 2044).

Acción ordinaria. Common stock.

Acción para recobrar propiedad mueble. Replevin.

Acción para resolver reclamaciones opuestas. Action to quiet title.

Acción pauliana. See acción oblicua and acción revocatoria.

Acción penal. Criminal action. A criminal action arises from every crime or misdemeanor for the punishment of the culprit, and a civil action may also arise for the restitutuion of the thing, the repair of the damage, and the indemnity of the losses caused by the punishable act. (Sp. L. Crim. P., sec 100, 101).

Acción penal, preclusión. Criminal action, preclusion. The following persons cannot bring criminal actions against each other: 1) spouses, except for a crime or misdemeanor committed by one against the person of the other or that of his or her children, and for the crimes of adultery, concubinage and bigamy; 2) the ascendants, descendants, the uterine brothers or sisters, or relatives by consanguinity or affinity, unless for a crime or misdemeanor by either against the persons of the other. (Sp. L. Crim. P., sec 103).

Acción penal, renuncia. A criminal action for a crime or misdemeanor which gives rise to proceedings ex officio is not extringuished by the withdrawal of the complaint by the person offended. (Sp. L. Crim. P., sec 106).

Acción popular. By 1910 the Colombian system created an institution known as the popular action (acción popular), which permits any citizen to challenge the constitutionality of any law on its face. Any citizen (defined loosely by the case law to include corporations and even aliens), irrespective of any personal stake in the outcome or the exhaustion of administrative remedies, may bring an action at any time directly before the Colombian Supreme Court by filing a simple written statement setting forth the asserted conflict between the law and the constitution. The Court is not limited to the complainant’s theory of the case; if it believes the law unconstitutional for reasons other than those set out in the complaint, the Court has the duty to invalidate the law. If the law is declared unconstitutional, the Court’s decision has an erga omnes effect. (L & D in LA).

Acción popular, otros paises. Popular action, other countries. With slight modifications, the popular action has spread to Panama, Venezuela, and El Salvador. From 1931 until 1959 Cuba permitted the popular action, but required a petition signed by 25 citizens instead of an individual complaint. (L & D in LA).

Acción por enriquecimiento indebido, o sin causa. Restitution. Action for enrichment without cause or for unjust enrichment.

Acción posesoria. Possessory action. One where only the right of possession is the issue, ownership being immaterial.

Acción preferida. Preferred stock.

Acción redhibitoria. Redhibitory action. A claim for the hidden defects of something that was purchased.

Acción reivindicatoria. Vindicatory action. The owner of a thing is entitled to recover it from anyone who possesses or detains it without right and to obtain judgment recognizing his ownership and ordering delivery of the thing to him.

     In all civil law systems, the owner of a thing may bring a vindicatory action (acción en reivindicación) for the recognition of his ownership and for the recovery of the thing from anyone who possesses or detains it without right. (Louisiana Civ. Code art. 526 and note).

Acción revocatoria. Acción Pauliana. Revocatory action. Paulian action. An obligee has a right to annul an act of the obligor, or the result of a failure to act of the obligor, made or effected after the right of the obligee arose, that causes or increases the obligor’s insolvency.

     The revocatory or Paulian action, an institution derived from Roman law, is the civil-law analogue to the common law suit to set aside a fraudulent conveyance. (Louisiana Civ. Code art. 2036 and note).

Acción subrogatoria. Action for subrogation.

Accionante. Plaintiff, claimant, petitioner, relator.

Accionar. To file a lawsuit.

Acciones. Acts, shares, stock certificates.

Acciones con derecho a voto. Voting stock.

Acciones nominativas. Shares payable to order. The shares payable to bearer shall be numbered, and shall be recorded in stub books. (Sp. Com. C., sec. 163).

Acciones, nuevas series. Shares, new series. No new series of stock can be issued before the total of the series previously issued has been fully paid. (Sp. Com. C., sec. 165).

Acciones ordinarias. Common stock.

Acciones parcialmente pagadas. Partly paid shares.

Acciones preferidas. Preferred stock.

Acciones sin valor a la par. No-par value stock.

Acciones sin valor nominal. No-par stock.

Accionista. Shareholder, stockholder.

Acefalía. Acephalia. Absence of a leader.

Aceptación dentro de un plazo fijo. Acceptance within a fixed period of time. A period of time for acceptance fixed by the offeror in a telegram or a letter begins to run from the moment the telegram is handed in for dispatch of from the date shown on the letter or, if no such date is shown, from the date shown on the envelope. A period of time for acceptance fixed by the offeror by means of instantaneous communication begins to run from the moment that the offer reaches the offeree. (Unidroit, Prin., art. 2.8).

Aceptación disconforme. Modified acceptance. A reply to an offer which purports to be an acceptance but contains additional or different terms which do not materially alter the terms of the offer constitutes an acceptance, unless the offeror, without undue delay, objects to the discrepancy. (Unidroit, Prin., art. 2.11).

Aceptación mediante silencio. Acceptance by silence. When, because of special circumstances, the offeree’s silence leads the offeror reasonably to believe that a contract has been formed, the offer is deemed accepted. (Louisiana Civ. Code art. 1942).

Aceptación no en acuerdo con la oferta. Acceptance not in accordance with offer. An acceptance not in accordance with the terms of the offer is deemed to be a counteroffer. (Louisiana Civ. Code art. 1943).

Aceptación por cumplimiento. Acceptance by performance. When an offeror invites an offeree to accept by performance and, according to usage or the nature or the terms of the contract, it is contemplated that the performance will be completed if commenced, a contract is formed when the offeree begins the requested performance. (Louisiana Civ. Code art. 1939).

Aceptación por intervención. Acceptance for honor.

Aceptación sólo por cumlimiento total. Acceptance only by completed performance. When, according to usage or the nature of the contract, or its own terms, an offer made to a particular offeree can be accepted only by rendering a completed performance, the offeror cannot revoke the offer, once the offeree has begun to perform, for the reasonable time necessary to complete the performance. (Louisiana Civ. Code art. 1940).

Aceptación tardía. Demora en la transmisón. Late acceptance. Delay in transmission. A late acceptance is nevertheless effective as an acceptance if without undue delay the offeror so informs the offeree or gives notice to that effect. (Unidroit, Prin., art. 2.9).

Aceptación, tiempo. Time of acceptance.

     An offer must be accepted within the time the offeror has fixed or, if no time is fixed, within a reasonable time having regard to the circumstances, including the rapidity of the means of communication employed by the offeror. (Unidroit, Prin., art. 2.7).

Aceptante. Acceptor.

Aceptar. To accept, admit, adopt, acquiesce, concede.

Acequia. Drain.

Acervo. Assets, belongings, capital, patrimony, possessions.

Acervo hereditario. Estate of a deceased. The estate of a deceased means the property, rights, and obligations that a person leaves after his death, whether the property exceeds the charges or the charges exceed the property, or whether he has only left charges without any property. (Louisiana Civ. Code art. 872).

Aclaración. Clarification, elucidation, explanation.

Aclaración y adición de una sentencia. Clarification and addition of a judgment. The clarification of or addition to a judgment is only possible concerning its dispositive part. (C.R. C. of Civ. P., art. 158).

Acometedor. Attacker, aggressor.

Acometer. To assault, attack, assail.

Acometimiento. Assault, attack, assailment.

Acomodación. Accommodation, adaptation, adjustment, arrangement.

Aconchabamiento. Employment, job, occupation, work.

Aconsejar. To counsel, advise, recommend, suggest.

Acontecer. To happen, occur.

Acontecimiento. Event, happening, incident, occasion, occurrence.

Acordada. Procedural rule, or set of rules, issued by the Supreme Court.

Acordar. To agree, accord, concur.

Acorde. Corresponding, in agreement, in harmony.

Acosamiento. Harassment.

Acosamiento sexual. Sexual harassement.

Acostumbrado. Customary, accustomed, habitual, normal, routine, usual.

Acotación. Remark, comment, commentary, gloss, note, observation.

Acrecentamiento. Increase, augmentation, enlargement, growth, rise.

Acrecentar. To increase, augment, boost, enlarge, raise.

Acrecer, derecho de. Right to increase one’s share when other heirs or legatees fail to take their portion.

Acreditar. To ascertain, determine, confirm, prove, verify.

Acreedor. Creditor, obligee. Obligee or creditor is the person in favor of whom some obligation is contracted. (Louisiana Civ. Code art. 3556).

Acreedor con gravamen. Lien creditor.

Acreedor solidario. Joint creditor.

Acreedores privilegiados. Preferred creditors.

Acreedores singularmente privilegiados. Specially preferred credtors.

Acta de defunción. Death record, death certificate. No interment or cremation will be done without authorization given by the judge of the Civil Registry, who will make sure of the death, with a certificate issued by a physician legally authorized. (Mex. Civ. C., art. 117).

Acta de defunción, contenido. Death record, contents. The death record shall contain:

I. The name, last name, age, occupation, and address of the defunct;

II. The civil status of the defunct, and if he or she was married or widowed, and the name and last name of the spouse;

III. The names, last names, ages, occupations, and addresses of the witnesses, and if they were relatives, their relationship to the defunct;

IV. The name of the parents of the defunct, if known;

V. The type of disease that caused the death, and specifically the place where the body was buried;

VI. The time of death, if known, and all the information available in case of a violent death. (Mex. Civ. C., art. 119).

Actas. Records, minutes, report.

Actividades de alto riesgo. Abnormally dangerous activities.

Activo. Assets, holdings, net worth. Active.

Activo fijo. Fixed assets.

Activo líquido. Liquid assets.

Acto. Act, action, judicial proceeding.

Acto auténtico. Authentic act. An authentic act is a writing executed before a notary public or other officer authorized to perform that function, in the presence of two witnesses, and signed by each party who executed it, by each witness, and by each notary public before whom it was executed. (Louisiana Civ. Code art. 1833, 1834).

Acto bajo signo privado. Act under private signature. An act under private signature need not be written by the parties, but must be signed by them. An act under private signature is regarded prima facie as the true and genuine act of a party executing it when his signature has been acknowledged, and the act shall be admitted in evidence without further proof. (Louisiana Civ. Code art. 1837, 1836).

Acto cometido en ocasión del trabajo. Conduct within scope of employment.

Acto de comercio. Commercial transactions shall be considered those enumerated in this Code and any others of a similar character. (Sp. Com. C., sec. 2 (2)).

Acto entre vivos. Transaction inter vivos.

Acto jurídico. Legal act, juridical act.

Acto voluntario. Wilful act. A wilful act is the act which is born of the will and not by force or necessity extraneous to the former. (Ppl. v. Sanchez Lugo, 96 PRR 480 (1968)).

Actor/a. Plaintiff, claimant, petitioner, relator.

Actos de comercio. Commercial acts. The law considers the following to be commercial transactions:

I. All purchases, sales, and rentals entered into for the purpose of commercial speculation, of maintenance, articles, chattels, or articles, be it in a natural state, after improvement or manufactured;

II. The purchases and sales of real estate, when done with the purpose of commercial speculation;

III. The purchases and sales of portions, shares, and obligations of mercantile associations;

IV. The contracts relating to obligations from state bonds and other certificates of obligations which are in the flow of commerce;

V. Companies that deal with provisions and supply;

VI. Companies that deal with construction and public and private works;

VII. Companies that are factories and manufacturers;

VIII. Companies that deal with transportation or people and goods, by land or by water; and tourist companies;

IX. Bookstores, as well as printing shops, and publishing companies;

X. Companies that deal with brokerage, agencies commercial enterprises and auctioneering outfits to the public;

XI. Companies that deal with public entertainment;

XII. Transactions by commercial agencies;

XIII. Brokerage operations in mercantile dealings;

XIV. Banking operations;

XV. All the contracts dealing with marital commerce and interior and exterior navigation;

XVI. Insurance contracts of all types, as long as they are created by companies;

XVII. Commercial deposits;

XVIII. Deposits made in general stores and all operations with certificates of deposit and pledge documents issued by them;

XIX. Checks, drafts or transfer of moneys from one place to another between all types of individuals;

XX. Commercial paper and other instruments payable to order or bearer, unless proven unrelated to a commercial transaction;

XXI. Obligations between merchants and bankers, except if they are of a civil nature;

XXII. The contracts and obligations of the employees of the merchants in regards to the business;

XXIII. The disposition and transfer of crops by the owner or grower, from his estate or parcel;

XXIV. Any other activity similar to the ones expressed in this Code.

     In case of doubt, the commercial nature of the act will be determined by a judge. (Mex. Com. C., art. 75).

Actos de conciliación. Proceedings to avoid litigation.

Actuación. Proceeding, lawsuit, suit, step in litigation.

Actuar. To act, appear, litigate.

Actuario. Court clerk, secretary, actuary.

Acudir. To apply, request.

Acudir a la vía judicial. File a suit, bring a lawsuit

Acueducto. Aqueduct.

Acuerdo. Accord, agreement, arrangement, contract, deal, pact.

Acuerdo de rescisión. Agreement of rescission.

Acuerdo de voluntades. Meeting of the minds.

Acuerdo en finiquito. Accord and satisfaction.

Acuerdo pre-nupcial. Pre-nuptial agreement. A community property marriage will be governed by the pre-nuptial agreement, and any matter not expressly stipulated will be governed by the provisions applicable to civil associations. (Mex. Civ. C., art. 183).

Acumulación. Joinder, accumulation.

Acumulación de acciones. Consolidation of actions. The plaintiff may consolidate in his complaint as many causes of action as he may have against the defendant, even though they proceed from different titles, provided that said actions are not incompatible with each other. (Sp. L. Civ. P., sec. 153, 154).

Acumulación de acusados. Joinder of defendants.

Acumulación de autos. Consolidation of records of proceedings.

     The consolidation may be ordered in the following cases: 1) When the judgment to be rendered in one of the actions, the consolidation of which is requested, would raise the exception of res judicata in the other. 2) When an action is pending before the competent court on the same matter which is the object of that instituted subsequently. 3) When bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings are pending and the property of the insolvent or bankrupt is the subject of the action instituted. 4) When testamentary or intestate proceedings are pending and the property of the estate is the subject of the action instituted and said action is declared to be subject to consolidation with said proceedings. 5) When the unit of the action would be destroyed if the actions should be prosecuted separately. (Sp. L. Civ. P., sec. 160, 161).

Acumulación de delitos. Joinder of offenses.

Acumulación de reclamaciones. Joinder of claims.

Acumulación indebida o no acumulación de partes. Misjoinder or non-joinder of parties.

Acumular. To join, accrue.

Acumulativo. Cumulative.

Acuñación. Minting.

Acusación del fiscal. Information. Indictment.

Acusado. Accused, defendant.

Acusador. Accuser, prosecutor, prosecution, district attorney.

Acusar. To accuse, arraign, charge, impeach, indict, prosecute, blame.

Ad effectum videndi (L). Literally to the effect of seeing. Phrase used by one court to request a file from a lower court, to study it and to decide if a particular appeal should or should not be granted.

Adagio. Adage, aphorism, maxim, proverb.

Adelantar. Advance, forward, further, place in front.

Adaptación del contrato en caso de error. Loss of right to avoid.

     If a party is entitled to avoid the contract for mistake but the other party declares itself willing to perform or performs the contract as it was understood by the party entitled to avoidance, the contract is considered to have been concluded as the latter party understood it. The other party must make such a declaration or render such performance promptly after having been informed of the manner in which the party entitled to avoidance had understood the contract and before that party has acted in reliance on a notice of avoidance. (Unidroit, Prin., art. 3.13).

Adeudar. To owe, be in debt.

Adhesión. Adhesion, adherence.

Adición. Addition, increase summation, totaling.

Adicional. Additional, added, supplemental, supplementary.

Adiestramiento. Training, apprenticeship, pupilage.

Adjudicación. Adjudication, award.

Adjudicar. To adjudicate, adjudge, arbitrate, award, rule, sentence.

Adjunto Attached, enclosed, herewith. Adjunct.

Administración. Administration, direction, management, supervision.

Administrador. Manager, administrator, director, trustee.

Administrar. To administer, manage, direct, oversee, supervise.

Administrativo. Administrative, executive, managerial, supervisory.

Admisibilidad limitada. Limited admissibility.

Admisible. Admissible, acceptable, permissible.

Admisión. Admission. An admission on the part of the defendant refers to some specific fact which tends to establish the guilt of the defendant or some element of the crime charged against him. (Ppl. v. Barreto, 85 PRR 753 (1962)).

     Acknowledgment, confession. Admittance.

Admisiones tácitas de un acusado. Tacit admissions of a defendant. By tacit admissions of a defendant, it is meant the inculpatory statements not contradicted or denied by the defendant in the course of the investigation of the offense. (Ppl. v. Alvarez, 86 PRR 596 (1962)).

Admitir. To admit, acknowledge, concede, confess.

Admonición. Admonition, warning, advice.

Adolecencia. Adolescence, youth.

Adopción. Adoption.

Adopción, capacidad. Adoption, capacity. The capacity to adopt and to be adopted and the conditions and limitations of adoption are subject to the personal law of each of the interested persons. (Bust. C., art. 73).

Adopción, efectos. Adoption, effects. The effects of adoption are regulated by the personal law of the adopting party inso far as his estate is concerned, and by that of the adopted one in respect to the name, the rights and duties which he retains regarding his natural family, as well as to his estate in regard to the adopting person. (Bust. C., art. 74).

Adopción, repudio. Adoption, repudiation. Either one of the interested persons may repudiate the adoption in accordance with the provisions of his personal law. (Bust. C., art. 75).

Adoptado. Adopted.

Adoptante. Adopter.

Adoptivo. Adopted.

Adornar. To adorn, decorate, dress up, embellish, ornate.

Adquirente. Acquirer, buyer, purchaser.

Adquirir. To acquire, buy, procure, purchase.

Adquisición. Acquisition, property, procurement, purchase.

Adscribir. To ascribe, assign, attribute, impute.

Adscripto. Attached, placed under.

Aduana. Customs, customhouse.

Aduanero. Relating to customs, as in customs duty.

Aducir. Adduce, affirm, declare, inform, narrate, relate, state.

Adulteración. Adulteration, forgery.

Adulterar. To adulterate, forge, pervert.

Adulterino. Adulterine.

Adulterio. Adultery.

Adulterio con cónyuge ajeno. Criminal conversation with someone else’s spouse.

Adúltero. Party to an adultery.

Adulto. Adult, of age, mature.

Advenimiento. Happening, existence, occurrence.

Adversario. Adversary, antagonist, contrary party, opponent, rival.

Advertencia. Warning, admonition, advice.

Advertir. To warn, alert, caution.

Adyacente. Adjacent, adjoining, contiguous, bordering.

Afección, afecto. Affection, fondness, love.

Afectación. Burden, charge, encumbrance. Simulation.

Affectio societatis (L). The intention of forming and belonging to an enterprise. This is the subjective element that distinguishes a partner from another type of investor.

Afianzar. To bail, give bond, guarantee, warrant.

Afiazamiento, fianza mercantil. Commercial guaranty. All guaranties the purpose of which is to insure the fulfillment of a commercial contract shall be considered commercial, even though the guarantor is not a merchant. (Sp. Com. C., sec. 439, 440).

Afiliación. Affiliation, association, belonging, connection.

Afiliado. Affiliated, member.

Afincamiento. Firm rooting.

Afinidad. Affinity, family relationship.

Afirmación. Affirmation, affirmance, averment, assertion, avowal.

Afirmante. Affirmant, declarant.

Afirmar. To affirm, assert aver, avow, declare.

Afirmativo. Affirmative, positive.

Aforar. To appraise, assess, evaluate.

Aforismo. Aphorism, adage, maxim, saying. Particularly in a foreign language.

Aforo. Appraisal, assessment, evaluation.

Agencia. Agency, bureau, department, office.

Agencia de financiamiento. Financing agency.

Agenciar. To obtain.

Agente. Agent, attorney-in-fact, delegate, proxy, representative.

Agente viajero. Travelling agent.

Agentes de cambio y bolsa. Money and stock brokers. Money and stock brokers shall be authorized: 1) To take part privately in negotiations and transfers of all kinds of public instruments or securities which can be quoted, 2) To take part, in concurrence with commercial agents, in all other exchange transactions and contracts, subject to the liabilities appertaining to these transactions. (Sp. Com. C., sec. 100).

Agentes mediadores del comercio. Commercial agents.

Agio. Usury. Overcharging.

Agiotaje. Agiotage, overcharging, overreaching.

Agiotista. Profiteer.

Agotamiento. Depletion. Exhaustion.

Agravante. Aggravating circumstance.

Agravar. To aggravate, worsen.

Agravatorio. Aggravating, rendering worse.

Agraviado. Aggrieved.

Agravio. Damage, harm, injury, offense, tort.

Agravioso. Damaging, harmful, injurious, tortious.

Agredir. Assault, attack, assail, strike.

Agregado. Added, appended. Combination, composite. Attache.

Agregar. Add, affix, annex, incorporate, supplement.

Agremiado. Union member.

Agremiar. To unionize.

Agresión. Aggression, assault, attack, battery, hostility.

Agresor. Aggressor, assailant.

Agrimensor. Land surveyor.

Agrimensura. Measuring and marking land.

Agrupación. Grouping, group, association.

Agrupamiento. Grouping, group, gathering.

Agua, uso en ganado. Water, livestock use. The utilization of national water for the raising and fattening of livestock, poultry and animals, and their preparation for initial transfer, provided that industrial processing is not included.

Agua, uso industrial. Water, industrial use. The utilization of national water in plants or undertakings that carry out the extraction, preservation, or processing of raw materials or minerals, the finishing of products or the manufacture of satisfactory products, and the utilization of national water in industrial parks, boilers, cooling and cleaning devices, and bathing and other services within the undertaking, the brines used for the extraction of any type substances and water, including when in gaseous state, used for electric power generation or any other processing use or development.

Aguas alumbradas. Artesian waters. Artesian waters belong to the person discovering them. When the owner of artesian waters abandons the same to their natural course, they shall become public domain. (Sp. Civ. C., sec. 425, 426).

Aguas de dominio privado. Waters of private ownership. To private dominion belong: 1) Waters, either continuous or intermittent, rising on private tenements, as far as they run through the same. 2) Lakes and marshes, and their beds, when formed by nature on the said tenements. 3) Subterranean waters found on the same. 4) Rain water falling on private tenements, as long as they remain within the boundaries of the same. 5) The beds of flowing waters, continuous or intermittent, formed by rain water, and those of brooks crossing tenements which do not belong to the public domain. (Sp. Civ. C., sec. 415).

Aguas de dominio privado, aprove chamiento. Waters of private ownership, use. The owner of a tenement in which a spring or brook rises, be it continuous or intermittent, may use its waters as far as they run through the said tenement; but after the said water leaves the tenement it shall become public and its use is governed by special legislation. (Sp. Civ. C., sec. 419, 423).

Aguas de dominio público. Water of public domain. To the public domain belong: 1) Rivers and their natural beds. 2) Continuous or intermittent waters from sources or brooks running in their natural beds, and the beds themselves. 3) Waters rising continuously or intermittently in lands, within the same public domain. 4) Lakes and marshes formed by nature on public lands, and also their beds. 5) Rain water running through ravines or sandy beaches, the beds of which may also belong to the public domain. 6) Subterranean waters existing on public lands. 7) Waters found within the zone of operation of public works, even when they are executed by a grantee. 8) Waters flowing continuously or intermittently from tenements belonging to private parties. (Sp. Civ. C., sec. 414).

Aguas, obras defensivas. Water, defensive works.

Aguas pluviales. Rain water.

Aguas públicas, aprovechamiento. The use of public waters is acquired: 1) By administrative concession. 2) By prescription after twenty years. The limits of the rights and obligations of these uses shall be those shown, in the first case, by the terms of the concession; and in the second case, by the manner in which the waters have been used. (Sp. Civ. C., sec. 416, 417).

Aguas subterrraneas. Subterranean water. Only the owner of a tenement or another person with his permission, may search for subterranean waters thereon. (Sp. Civ. C., sec. 424).

Aguas vivas. Running water.

Aguinaldo. Annual bonus. A Christmas bonus, consisting of at least 15 days’ salary, is considered as part of the salary and should be paid each year. (FLL, Article 87).

Ahijado/a. Godchild.

Ahorcar. To hang, execute, lynch.

Ahorrado. Saved, kept, put aside.

Ahorro. Savings, economy.

Aislado. Isolated, alone, ostracized, protected, separate.

Ajustado a derecho. Lawful, complying with the law, legal.

Ajustador. Adjuster.

Ajustador de seguros. Claims adjustor.

Ajustar. To adjust, settle, compensate. Accommodate, regulate, rectify.

Ajuste alzado. System providing payment in only one installment or lump sum.

Ajustes por modernización. Adjustments due to modernization. The law also regulates those cases where there are some workers become redundant due to the introduction of machinery or new production processes. (FLL, Article 439).

Al amparo de. Under the protection of.

Al calce. At the foot, at the end.

Al frente. At the head, in front.

Al pie, al final. At the foot, at the end.

Al pie de la letra. Literally, undeviantly, rigorously.

Alimentante. Person in charge of providing support, e.g. to his spouse or to his children.

Alimentos, cese. Support, termination. The obligation to pay support terminates:

I. When the supporting party is unable to do so;

II. When the person receiving the support does not need it anymore;

III. When the person receiving the support injures or causes serious damage against the supporting party;

IV. If the need of support is caused by the misconduct or improper work attitude of the person being supported. The suspension of the obligation shall be for as long as this condition lasts;

V. If the person receiving support abandons the house of the supporting party without consent and without justified cause. (Mex. Civ. C., art. 320).

Al por mayor. Wholesale.

Al por menor. Retail.

Al portador. To bearer.

Alargar. Enlarge, extend, lengthen, prolong.

Albacea. Executor. Executors may be universal or special. In any case executors may be appointed either severally, successively, or jointly. (Sp. Civ. C., sec. 868). In case of a women, she is called the executrix.

Albaceazgo. Executorship. Executorship is but an administration accompanied by a right of representation to perform specific functions relating to the conservation of the hereditary estate until the inheritance is accepted by the heirs. (Paine v. Sec. of the Treas., 85 PRR 787 (1962)).

Albedrío, libre. Autonomy, free choice, power to decide freely.

Albergar. To lodge, cover, guard, shelter.

Albergue. Hosted, shelter.

Alborotar. To agitate, disturb, upset.

Alboroto. Brawl, confusion, tumult, revolt, riot.

Alcahuete. Pimp.

Alcahuetería. Pandering, procuring.

Alcaide. Warden of a prison.

Alcalde. Mayor.

Alcaldía. City hall.

Alcance. Scope, amplitude, breadth, expanse, reach, span.

Alcohol. Alcohol, liquor, spirits.

Alcoholismo. Alcoholism, drunkenness.

Alcurnia. Ancestry, descendance, genealogy line, lineage, progeny.

Aleatorio. Aleatory, depending on chance.

Alegable. Pleadable.

Alegación. Plea, argument, affirmation, allegation, averment, contention, hypothesis.

Alegación de admisión. Plea of nolo contendere.

Alegación preacordada. Plea agreement, plea bargaining.

Alegaciones. Pleadings.

Alegar. To plead, argue, advocate, advance a theory or idea.

Alegato. Plea, brief, allegation, legal opinion.

Alerta. Alert, attentive, vigilant. Alarm, warning.

Alevosía. Cruelty, reckless disregard.

Alfonso el Sabio. Alfonso, the Wise.

Alguacil. Bailiff.

Alianza. Alliance, coalition, compact, league.

Alias. Alias, A.K.A. (also known as), nickname, otherwise known as.

Alienable. Saleable.

Alienación. Alienation, transfer of ownership, sale.

Alienado. Alienated.

Alienar. To alienate, transfer, sale.

Alijo. Lighten the vessel, jettison.

Alimentos. Alimony. By alimony we understand what is necessary for the nourishment, lodging and support of the person who claims it. It includes the education, when the person to whom the alimony is due is a minor. (Louisiana Civ. Code art. 230).

Alimentos del cónyuge. Spousal support. In the case of a contested divorce, the judge, taking into account the circumstances of the case and the ability of the spouses to work and their economic situation, will direct the spouse at fault to pay alimony in favor of the innocent spouse. (Mex. Civ. C., art. 288).

Alistar. To enlist, enroll, recruit, volunteer. To prepare.

Allanamiento. Acceptance, admission. Judicial search of a building, usually conducted by the police.

Almacenes de adeudo. Bonded warehouses.

Almirantazgo. Admiralty.

Almirante. Admiral.

Alquiler. Rent, rental, lease.

Alta mar. High seas.

Alta traición. High treason, rebellion, sedition.

Alterar. Alter, change.

Altura. Hight.

Alucinación. Hallucination, mirage, vision.

Alucinógeno. Hallucinatory.

Alumbrado. Illumination, light. Bright.

Aluvión. Alluvion. Alluvion, in its most strict and common meaning, is defined as the increase of land