Proto-North Caucasian: *bV̆mŁVrē / *bV̆rŁVmē
Meaning: funeral stretcher; ladder
Notes: The vocalism is hard to reconstruct (since there are no Andian or Tsezian reflexes, while in other languages there's a strong tendency of vowel reduction and assimilation in the first syllable). The form *bV̆rŁVmV is reflected in PN and Lak. (buIrna < *buIrlVma with disappearance of -l- after -r- and assimilation *-m- > -n-; for the semantics cf. an analoguous shift 'ladder, stairs' > 'pillar, support' in the reflexes of PL *morʎ:ol 'stairs, ladder' q.v.; the source of Lak. pharyngealization, however, is not clear). The Av. form malí probably goes back to *malrí < *bV̆mŁVrē (with a simplification of the cluster -lr-).
