U ovom se radu autori bave rukopisom Petra Stankovića „Idee primitive dell’uomo in istato di natura presso tutti i popoli del mondo per conoscere rapporti delle lingue e loro origine”, koji nije objavljen te je nepoznat široj znanstvenoj zajednici. Analizira se rječnički dio rukopisa, koji pokazuje da Stankovićev rad nema paralele u dotadašnjoj hrvatskoj leksikografiji, s obzirom na to da se radi o šesnaestojezičnom malom rječniku, i koji je usto specifičan po izboru leksema i njihovoj sistematizaciji. Analiza leksema pokazala je da se Stankovićev izbor temeljio na pretpostavci o postojanju fonda osnovnih, temeljnih civilizacijskih riječi. Autori su pokazali da je Stanković pratio suvremena kretanja i rezultate relevantnih istraživanja na području komparativne filologije. Pogledom u Stankovićevo leksikografsko djelovanje ovaj rad ide u prilog kulturno–povijesnim kao i jezično–povijesnim leksičkim istraživanjima, za kojima je u novije vrijeme prepoznata potreba, a svoj doprinos može naći i u hrvatskim dijalektološkim istraživanjima. In this paper, the authors deal with Petar Stanković’s manuscript “Idee primitive dell’uomo in istato di natura presso tutti i popoli del mondo per conoscere rapporti delle lingue e loro origine”, which has not yet been published and is thus unknown to the wider scientific community. The dictionary part of the manuscript is analysed, which shows that Stanković’s work has no parallels in the previous Croatian lexicography, given that it is a sixteen-language dictionary, which is also specific in the choice of lexemes and their systematization. The research showed that Stanković in his work used both available lexicographic and literary sources, as well as living native language, where the Romani language also finds its place, then without a systematic lexicographic source. It also showed that Stanković, in the conception of his work, sets himself up supra-nationally, universally and scientifically at a time when national movements are beginning to awaken in Europe. Stanković noticed and documented the ethnic and linguistic diversity of his close surroundings, taking into account Trieste, where all the languages of Europe were spoken at that time. The paper presents tabular representations of Stanković’s data on the number of speakers and languages, as well as those who speak Italian. The analysis of the lexeme showed that Stanković’s choice was based on the assumption of the existence of a fund of basic, fundamental words of civilization, represented in all languages in the beginnings of civilization, which means knowledge of domestic animals and those from home, seasons and basic bodies, and abstract ideas about God. The authors also provide a brief overview of philological comparative research in the early 19th century, showing the extent to which Stanković was versed in contemporary scientific ideas and joined the circle of leading scholars who made a significant step forward in the study of language history by proving the thesis on a common Indo-European proto-language. In addition, Stanković very enthusiastically and a step ahead of his time paid attention to the Romani language from his environment as a living form of ancient Indian, which only confirms that he followed modern trends and results of relevant research in the field of comparative philology. With his dictionary, Stanković points out three features of language as a phenomenon – its complexity, continuity and dynamics.He seeks to penetrate the origin and spirit of language itself, and beyond the relationship of subordination and super-ordination grows a mosaic composed of languages that have a millennial tradition, as well as those that socio-historical circumstances have denied it. Observing the basic words, Stanković tries to reach, or at least contribute to, a critical synthesis in the field of language research. The authors have shown that his approach and method are subject not only to contemporary but also to modern requirements in terms of scientific objectivity and universality, believing that such a dictionary can be seen as a fundamental work offering plenty of material for further philological research. This paper, in view of Stanković’s lexicographical work, supports cultural-historical as well as linguistic-historical lexical research, for which the need has recently been recognized, and which can also find its contribution in Croatian dialectological research.