Absolutely fascinating. I wish I could find something similar, but modern, in English. ( )

This book is primarily a study of the vocabulary of institutions [11] in the broad sense of social relations, ways of life, and even processes of thought.

Although Benveniste intensely worked the "elements" of Saussurian structural linguistics in his monumental General Linguistics--to very little remaining contemporary effect--in this smaller work the author restricts himself to glossator. The result is a very useful empirical etymology.

As is most of Benveniste's writing, it is accessible, and the words and their rootings are fascinating.

This is how Benveniste organizes the separate "Books" (his chapters): Economy (Livestock, Giving/Taking, Purchasing...), Kinship, Social Status (3 functions, 4 divisions), Royalty (Iranian/Hellenic Kingship, Magic), Law (themis, dike, med- [measure], fas, censor, auctoritas, quaestor and *prex, oath),and Religion (Avestan, Latin, Greek -- libation, sacrifice, vow, prayer, omens, superstitio).

With Indexes, including Words (by language), and "Passages Quoted". (Now that is helpful--for example Gospel authors are listed under Gothic and Greek [576], and you can find where he explodes what etymologically--of course the largest 'passagee' is Homer.

The diachronic depth of the study leaves one with the certainty that certainty is impossible: for all Words have semantically shifted over time. For example, the shifts resulting in the worrying intimacy of "host" with "hostile" [71], or the fact that Family"/familia did not (used) use to be restricted to kin [291]; the two opposite meanings in "take" (can you take it?)[67].