The study of the oldest concrete meaning of the Proto-Indo-European root *ag'- 'drive'.
What is it about?
Anttila's study is organized in nine chapters: Semantics of the Greek word ago:n 'assembly' and the enhancing particle aga- (as in aganniphos 'with much snow (Mt. Olympus); agathos 'good' and its relation to the games and culture; megas 'big', agape:tos 'beloved' and aganos 'mild, gentle'; Speaking-as-driving words (Greek imperative particle age, Latin aio: 'say', Greek ano:ga 'command'); Aggression and sustenance (killing *ag'-ro-/-a:, Hittite ak(k)- 'be put to death', non--killing *gwhen- 'beat'; agamai 'admire' and its entourage (age: 'wonder' and Umbrian ahtu 'divine force', Greek agos 'awe, guilt', agea 'temple mysteries, agauos 'admirable'); and parallels from Baltic Finnic ( Finnish ajaa 'to drive', akita 'take care', Finnish/Estonian oja 'brook cf. Greek okhthe: 'river bank, Finnish/Estonian ahav(a) 'wind', cf. Lithuanian oz'inis 'SE wind').
Why is it important?
Anttila practices etymology as 'socio-cultural reconstruction' guided by the theoretical principle of 'pattern explanation'. His opus is veritably 'etymology in action': a constant dialogue between the notions from history, semiosis, hermeneutics, philology and historical linguistics. The highest ambition in this endeavor is the 'hermeneutic empathy', allowing the investigator to re-enact the past, to extend the speech communities of the past to the present.