Proto-North Caucasian: *HV̄č̣_wĔ
Meaning: guest
Notes: The Nakh-WC comparison was proposed by Balkarov (1969), and seems quite probable both semantically and phonetically (despite criticism, and several alternative - rather fantastic - etymologies of the WC forms; see Shagirov 2, 122-123). We should note, however, that within EC the root is reflected only in PN and PA, which makes the reconstruction of vocalism and the initial laryngeal uncertain. The PWC form has a usual labial prefix, with a regular delabialisation *č̣́ʷ > *č̣́ after it.
