Proto-Lezghian: *q̇Iʷač̣
Meaning: 1 armpit 2 opening, pass
Lezghian: q̇üč̣ 1
Tabasaran: ʁIuč̣ 1
Agul: ʡač̣ 1 (Burk.)
Rutul: q̇Iač̣ 2
Tsakhur: q̇Iač̣ 2
Comment: Cf. also Rut. Khnov q̇Iač̣ɨ-χI-dad 'armpit', Lezg. Khl. q̇üč̣ (qüč̣ü-) 'armpit', q̇Iʷäč̣ (q̇Iʷäč̣i-) 'nostril'; Tab. Düb. q̇Iuč̣u 'armpit' (in Kand. there occurred a dissimilation *q̇I-> ʁI-); Rut. Khnov. xexid q̇Iač̣ 'nostril' ("hole of nose"), Khniukh. q̇Iɨč̣ 'cave'.
A rather complicated case. For PL we have to reconstruct a paradigm with Ablaut *q̇Iʷač̣, *q̇Ioč̣ɨ- (preserved in Tab. ʁIuč̣i-); further levelling led to a division into two nouns in Lezg. (Khl. q̇üč̣ < *q̇Ioč̣, q̇Iʷäč̣ < *q̇Iʷač̣) and in Rut. dialects (Khnov q̇Iač̣ < *q̇Iʷač̣ vs. Khniukh q̇Iɨč̣ < *q̇Ioč̣).
In most Agul dialects (because of the change *q̇I > ʡ in some dialects) this root merged with PL *hIač̣ 'hollow, pit' (q.v.); only in the Burkikhan dialect there persists an opposition ʡač̣ 'armpit' (*q̇Iʷač̣) : ʕač̣ 'ravine'.
