Proto-North Caucasian: *bHaḳV (/*ḳHabV)
Meaning: palm of hand, hand
Notes: Reconstructed for the PEC level. The situation is rather typical, as for most words of the CVCV structure with two stops: we observe metatheses (thus it is hard to choose between *bHaḳV and *ḳHabV) and as-/dissimilative processes. In this case it concerns the Lak. form (with progressive glottalisation) and the PL form: most probably the original *ḳHabV changed to *gHabV > PL *k:ap: through assimilation; later in a part of Lezghian dialects there occurred a new dissimilation (*k:ap: > *k:ap).
