Wędrówki słów : kilka zdań na temat pracy Emile'a Benveniste'a Le vocabulaire des institutions indo-europeennes

Abstract

The article presents a two‑volume (published in Paris in 1969) monograph of a distinguished French Indo‑European linguist, which constitutes a seminal work for comparative studies, ethnology as well as anthropology and philosophy of culture. The author attempts to reach the linguistic roots of the most important concepts from the social sphere (law, power, economy, religion, society, family) which came to form the foundation of the Indo‑European order of life and shaped the European world of thought, values and convictions. To this end, on the basis of etymological and comparative studies, the author reconstruct the roots of selected lexemes in over ten Indo‑European languages (historical and contemporary), pointing to the existing parallels. In order to convince the readers about the value of Benveniste’s work and demonstrate his work method at the same time, the author compiles tables which show the history of several crucial for the European culture concepts, whose linguistic roots reach the times of the Indo‑European community. Some of these concepts are freedom, community and trade.