Dimensions of variation across institutional legal and administrative registers

Abstract This study applies full Multidimensional Analysis (MDA) to examine linguistic variation in the Polish Eurolect — a hybrid variety shaped by translation and institutional constraints within the European Union — by comparing it to the national variety. Using a corpus of key institutional registers (legal acts, judgments, administrative reports, and citizen-oriented websites), we identify four dimensions of variation: Argumentative vs Informational, Engaged Instruction vs Distanced Authority, Prescriptive vs Narrative, and Lexical Richness. The findings reveal notable differences between how supranational and national institutions communicate. EU legal acts and judgments show greater prescriptiveness, legal referencing, and argumentative structuring compared to their Polish counterparts. EU websites have less engagement and explanatory strategies while EU reports favour a less distanced style. The findings map variation and group institutional registers, thereby visualizing similarities and differences between supranational and national institutional communication.