Cross-cultural reference material?

Posted by M.Mazzucco on May 19, 2001

I understand there are a few different "derivation" dictionaries, from which either the earliest quotation of a word/phrase, or its etymological "history," can be somehow rebuilt.
Is anyone aware, also, of the existence of some "cross-cultural" reference material, of similar kind?
E.g., "this expression is originally found in colonialist-Spanish language, then was probably adopted..."
Thanks