The law

[James Bilbro]

Although I have not yet read it, Jaan Puhvel's book, "Myth and Law Among the
Indo-Europeans might shed some light on this question.

-Jim Bilbro

-----Original Message-----
From: Anthony Appleyard <mclssaa2 at fs2.mt.umist.ac.uk>
Date: Wednesday, February 23, 2000 7:58 PM

Did the speakers of common IE have any notion of "the law" as an institution?

What was the IE word for "law", either as "the rules to be obeyed" (Latin
{lex}), or as "the process of justice" (Latin {jus})? Each IE language that I
know of seems to have a different word. My knowledge here is limited and I
accept any correction. Doubled vowel = long. Greek w = digamma.

- Anglo-Saxon {ae(w)}, compare Greek {ewaoo} = "I allow".
- Old Norse {log} < {lagu}, c.f. {l-g-} = "lay, lie": < "that which is laid
  down"?
- Latin {leg-}; the root also occurs as "choose" and "read".
- Latin {jus} < *{jous-} : what cognates are there for that word?
- Greek {dikee}: same root in Greek {deiknuumi} = "I indicate", Latin {dico} =
  "I say".
- Greek {nomos}: same root in Greek = "I apportion".
- Russian {zakon}.