Proto-North Caucasian: *ʁwănVṭŭ
Meaning: a k. of insect; small bird
Notes: An expressive common NC root. The etymology seems rather probable, inspite of the irregular assimilation (ʁ- > q̇:-) in Andian.
Abdokov (1983, 117) compares the Ubykh word with PL *q:Iʷen: 'partridge' (reflected in Lezg. q:ʷed, Khl. q:Iʷäd, Tab. ʁIud, Ag. Rud, Fit. ʁIud, Rut. ʁIud, Tsakh. q:Ion, Mik., Gelm. ʁIon, Arch. qIon). The Lezg. root, has, indeed, no other etymology, but the phonetic side of the comparison is somewhat dubious (PL *n: does not usually go back to clusters with dental consonants).
