Proto-North Caucasian: *Hl[a]ƛ̣V̄
Meaning: breast; back
Notes: The root is preserved only in a few EC languages, but appears to be archaic. Correspondences are regular. One phonetic problem, however, is that we should expect *ƛ: in PWC before an originally long vowel - this makes the comparison less reliable. The Khin. form can belong here if -id may be considered as a suffix, and näḳ- < *läḳ- (although reasons for *l- > n- are not quite clear).
Abdokov (1983,73) also compares the PAK form with EC; the Bezht. form ƛ̣a 'behind' which he quotes, may in fact belong here too (although the source of it is unknown to us); however, other forms that are adduced, either do not belong here (as Lezg. ḳul), or are misspelled (as Akhv. raƛ̣:aƛi - instead of raq̇:ʷaƛ:i).
