DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES IN THE STUDY OF THE HISTORY OF LAW AND THE EVOLUTION OF LEGAL TERMS

Abstract

Modern historical and legal studies are undergoing a methodological transformation driven by ad-vancements in digital technologies. Traditional approaches to analyzing legal sources, based on qualitative methods, are now being complemented by quantitative tools such as corpus linguistics, machine learning, and automated big data analysis. These innovations enable researchers to uncover previously inaccessible patterns in the evolution of legal terminology and institutions. However, the application of digital methods faces several challenges, including data repre-sentativeness, OCR errors, algorithmic bias, and ethical concerns related to artificial intelligence. The aim of this article is to examine the opportunities and limitations of digital technologies in historical and legal research. Key methods such as NLP, corpus analysis, and data visualization are discussed, along with their application in studying semantic shifts in legal terminology. Special attention is paid to an interdisciplinary approach that combines traditional legal scholarship with modern computational tools. The scientific novelty of this work lies in the development of a methodology that integrates quantitative and qualitative methods for a deeper understanding of legal evolution. Future research should focus on standardizing digital tools, reducing technological disparities, and improving digital infrastructure for historical and legal studies.