Mapping content by sequence numbers (SQN)

Sequence numbers are the backbone of scientific study of legal documents in CALD. They are attributed to each textual sequence according to content (or function), the default value being 660 for non-identified content. As such, they reflect the documents’ content in an abstract form that neglects individual details.

The “name of a person” (SQN=110) stands for all kind of names, the “legal validity” (SQN=320) contains all phrases that express such a meaning. You may search for one specific SQN, either in the whole corpus or within a limited group of documents. Some complex documents require a difference between identical content – the SQN-definition – at different positions, i.e. a frame attestation with verbatim citations of other legal documents. The the SQN-position serves to differentiate elements with identical SQN-definitions in complex structures.

The logic of SQN-definitions

The SQN-definitions are the – imperfect – effort to classify all elements of legal documents by content. Here the basic principles: All SQN-definitions consist of three numbers. The default value for unknown or not yet attributed content is “660”.

Numbers beginning with “0” concern general features of legal documents (with x as wildcard for 0-9):

03x= dates

04x = places

05x = judge’s interventions

07x = witness attestations

09x = notarisation of the documents

Numbers beginning with “1” refer to living beings (persons or animals) and physical objects:

100 = a person

150 = animal

160 = real estate

180 = physical object (others, in general)

190 = fungible goods

Numbers beginning with “2” refer to legal rights and obligations:

200 = legal rights and obligations

21x = obligation

26x = legal title

Numbers beginning with “3” and “4” concern legal and juridical elements, roughly grouped by type of contract or notarisation:

300 = indication of legal action (varies according to the type of document)

309 = object of a contract

33x = price

342 = reception of price

344 = reception of exchanged goods

42x = lease

43x = heritage

44x = waṣiyya

450 = iqrār

470 = šahāda

480 = išhād

Numbers beginning with “5” concern judicial procedures.

Numbers beginning with “8” designate administrative procedures.

Numbers beginning with “9” concern registration marks.

SQN-positions in complex documents

As mentioned, the SQN-position distinguishes elements with identical SQN-definitions according to their function for the document. For this reason different persons mentioned in the document (SQN-definition=110) may bear different SQN-positions. For example:

110 = first acting person (buyer in a sale’s contract)

120 = the second contracting person (seller in a sale’s contract)

Notarised legal actions

A notarial document usually contains one legal action (SQNp=100).

When a document refers to several actions, their SQN-positions differ (i.e. 200 for second action, etc.) Legal actions or documents that are cited or contained in registers (i.e. un siǧill) bear SQNp=5xx.

Witness attestations

SQN-positions help to differentiate different witness attestations (SQN-definition 07x):

Written by the cadi’s secretary as part of the document SQNd=141

Anyother attestation “within” the document before its date, then the SQN-position = 300

When witnesses wrote their testimonies and signed separately, after the documents’ closing phrase, their bear different SQN-positions: 311 (first testimony), 312 (second testimony) etc.

For both SQN types, SQN-definitions and SQN-positions, reference tables give exhaustive lists. They are constantly updated and may change with ongoing research, as does their attribution to Arabic text sequences.

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