Sino-Caucasian etymology : List with all references

Proto-Sino-Caucasian: *č̣V̆mħV

Meaning: span

Sino-Tibetan: *[Ćūm]

Comments and references : WFR 100; BCD 17. In CDST the root is confused with *śūm `to take hold of' which is probably a different root.

North Caucasian etymology :

Proto-North Caucasian: *č̣V̆mħV

Sino-Caucasian etymology: Sino-Caucasian etymology

Meaning: span

Proto-Nakh: *šo

Proto-Avaro-Andian: *č̣imHi-l

Proto-Tsezian: *ṭʷɨm(u)

Proto-Dargwa: *č̣im

Proto-Lezghian: *č̣ʷiIm:

Proto-West Caucasian: *ǯa

Notes: In EC all forms point to a reconstruction *č̣ʷimħV. The original meaning of this root was probably "span between the thumb and the small finger" (cf. in Cham. the opposition jeƛ̣:im < *HrVŁ_V̆ : č̣ibil < *č̣ʷimħV). Outside the Andian area, however, most languages had lost the root *HrVŁ_V̆ and *č̣ʷimħV obtained first the meaning 'span (in general)', and sometimes (after the penetration of new words - for the most part borrowed, like Turk. čejrek < Pers. čahār-yak - with the meaning 'span between the thumb and the small finger') - the meaning 'span between the thumb and the fore-finger'.

The comparison of PEC *č̣wimħV and PWC *ǯa is tempting, although it presents some phonetic problems. Labialisation in PEC can be secondary (due to assimilation < *č̣imħV); loss of the cluster *-mħ- in PWC is also regular. However, lack of palatalisation in PWC can not be explained - we would regularly expect a form like *č̣́a or *ǯ́a. Perhaps this is a case of a very archaic Ablaut, involving alternation of a front and a back vowel.

Nakh etymology :

Proto-Nakh: *šo

North Caucasian etymology: North Caucasian etymology

Meaning: span

Chechen: ša

Ingush: šu

Batsbi: še

Comments: 4th class in Chech., 6th class in Ing., 3d class in Bacb. We must reconstruct two variants for PN: *še (reflected in Bacb.) and *šo ( > Ing. šu). The vowel of the obl. base *ša-ni- ( > Chech. še-n) in Chech. had influenced the direct base (instead of šo it became ša). The variation *šo / *še in PN perhaps should be explained by a special development of early PN *šʷe ( < PEC *č̣wimħV).

Avar-Andian etymology :

Protoform: *č̣imHi-l

North Caucasian etymology: North Caucasian etymology

Meaning: span (between the thumb and the fore-finger)

Chamalal: č̣ibil

Comments: The word is attested only in Cham., cf. also Cham. Gig. č̣iwul id. The correspondence U.-Gakv. -b- : Gig. -w- is very special (original *-b- is well preserved in Gig.), so it seems very probable that for PA we should reconstruct a combination like *-mH- (cf. the external evidence); PA *č̣imHil > Cham. *č̣ĩwil > *č̣iwil (with loss of nasalisation).

Tsezian etymology :

Proto-Tsezian: *ṭʷɨm(u)

North Caucasian etymology: North Caucasian etymology

Meaning: span (between the thumb and the small finger)

Tsezi: ṭom

Ginukh: ṭemu

Khvarshi: ṭom (Radzhibov)

Inkhokvari: ṭom

Bezhta: ṭimo (Khosh.)

Gunzib: ṭɨmu (G.)

Comments: PTsKh *ṭʷɨm(u) ( ~ -ǝ-); PGB *ṭɨmu. Rabialisation in PTsKh (and in PTs) is reconstructed on basis of the specific vowel correspondence (Inkh., Tsez. o : Gin. e).

Dargwa etymology :

Proto-Dargwa: *č̣im

North Caucasian etymology: North Caucasian etymology

Meaning: span

Akusha: qaIš-č̣im

Chiragh: č̣im

Comments: Cf. also Ur., Kub. č̣im id. The first part of the Ak. compound is somewhat enigmatic: the only possible parallel for it is Ud. q:ošIa- also in a compound q:ošIa-maʁ 'handful' - with a possible (but very unreliable) protoform like *q_HVšV ( ~ -ś-).

Lezghian etymology :

Proto-Lezghian: *č̣ʷiIm:

North Caucasian etymology: North Caucasian etymology

Meaning: span (between the thumb and the small finger)

Lezghian: č̣ib

Tabasaran: č̣ib

Agul: č̣iIb / č̣eIb

Rutul: č̣ub

Tsakhur: č̣iIm / č̣uIm

Kryz: č̣eṗ

Budukh: c̣iṗ (?)

Archi: č̣ʷim

Udi: ǯi (?)

Comment: Cf. also Lezg. erg. čiṗini (Khl. č̣ib, čṗeni). 3d class in Rut. and Tsakh., but 4th class in Arch. and Shakhdagh. There are phonetic problems with the Bud. and Ud. forms: Budukh has irregular c̣- (č̣- would be normally expected), and Udi - irregular ǯ (č:- would be expected). The final version of the MSU recordings has a very strange notation for Kryz.: ḳeṗ. This is certainly a mistake (both for historical reasons, and because I recorded that word myself as č̣eṗ during the MSU expedition in 1977).

Abkhaz-Adyghe etymology :

Proto-West-Caucasian: *ǯa

North Caucasian etymology: North Caucasian etymology

Meaning: span

Abkhaz: á-ʒa

Abaza: ʒa

Adyghe: bžiz

Kabardian: bźiz

Ubykh: ʒa

Comments: PAT *ʒ́a (cf. also Bzyb. á-ʒ́a). The AK compound *bžǝ-jǝzǝ is treated by Shagirov (1,90) as *bžǝ '*hand' (cf. also PAK *ʡa-bžǝ́-bǝ 'handful', Ad. ʡa-bžǝ-m 'fist') + *jǝ́zǝ 'full'. We consider, however, the direct comparison of PAK *jǝ-zǝ (jǝ- is a usual pronominal prefix) with PAT *ʒ́a and Ub. ʒa 'span' more justified semantically, and quite regular phonetically - thus, the coincidence with *jǝ́zǝ 'full' is certainly secondary.

See Shagirov 1, 90; Klimov 1967, 306; Balkarov 1967, 15, 24.

Sino-Tibetan etymology :

Proto-Sino-Tibetan: *śūm

Sino-Caucasian etymology: Sino-Caucasian etymology

Meaning: take hold of; fist, a fist-measure

Kachin: šum1 to take hold of, ginšum3 to embrace, lǝšum3 a hold

Lushai: sūm to catch hold of with closed fist; to withhold, hold back; a measurement equal to twice the length of the closed fist.

Comments: Cf. *cūm.

Basque etymology :

Proto-Basque: *čehume / *sehume / *senhe

Sino-Caucasian etymology: Sino-Caucasian etymology

Meaning: 1 half-span (thumb to forefinger) 2 span (thumb to little finger)

Low Navarrese: xehume 1, zehe 2

Lapurdian: zehe 2, (Ainhoa) xeun 1, (Ainhoa, Senpere) zehume 2

Baztanese: zee 2

Zuberoan: xehǘne 1, zẽ́hẽ 2

Roncalese: xeme 1, ze 2, (Uztárroz) txeme 1

Comments: A NE Bsq isogloss: cf. SW Bsq *a=r̄ae 'span' (q.v.). Tentatively: *sehume 'span' was original (with a metathetic variant *senhe), and the diminutive was *čehume 'half-span'. If so, PNC *č̣V̆mħV was originally a diminutive and the augmentative (**ǯV̆mħV ?) was lost. But this is speculative. In this model Bsq *senhe 'small, tiny' (q.v.) is an unrelated homonym of *senhe 'span'.