Proto-West-Caucasian: *bǝ̃la (~-ĺ-)
Meaning: 1 ladder 2 funeral stretcher
Abaza: čʷǝ-mla 1
Adyghe: pχā-bLa 2
Kabardian: pχā-bLa 2
Comments: The Abaz. form goes back to *cʷǝ-mǝla, where cʷǝ- is probably the PAT verb root *cʷǝ 'to plane' ("planed ladder"). PAK *bLa (with *pχa- 'wood'; cf. also Kab. qā-bLa id. with *qa 'grave'). The Adygh compound *pχa-bLa was also borrowed in Ub. pχabLa.
The root has absolutely nothing to do with *bLa 'arm' or *bLa- 'to plait' (see Shagirov 2,20).
