Glossary entry

Finnish term or phrase:

koon

English translation:

shall, may, should, must, is liable

Added to glossary by Spencer Allman
Oct 4, 2022 10:08
1 yr ago
8 viewers *
Finnish term

koon

Finnish to English Law/Patents Law (general) Websites
In an old Finnish law there are such sentences as lykätköön oikeus asian toiseen aikaan

Of course it could be translated as 'let' But it sounds a bit odd to me to say ' Let the Court postpone/adjourn...'

Could I use 'shall'?

Or a mix of solutions (shall, should, may)?

Any views?
Proposed translations (English)
4 +1 shall, may, should, must, is liable

Proposed translations

+1
19 mins
Selected

shall, may, should, must, is liable

Your own suggestion of using a mix of alternative choices is good. The Finnish imperative verb form has an air of formality, yet it is still a bit ambiguous. It is not so strict as "is obliged" or "is liable", but surely the court "is expected" or "bound" to carry out a decision or even "must" do so. So, depending on the context it may be enough just to use one of the suggested auxiliary verbs.
Peer comment(s):

agree Jussi Rosti
50 mins
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Many thanks"
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