Proto-Gondi-Kui : *kov- (?)
Meaning : high, up
Notes : This root, which encapsulates the self-naming of many Dravidian tribes, is extremely hard to reconstruct. Besides the differences in vocalism, the inlaut consonant is very hard to determine; especially since some of the etyma may be borrowed (thus, kūbi is not the self-naming of Konda speakers themselves, but of Konda Dora dialect speakers). The root itself seems to be an old derivative of the word for 'mountain', in Tamil kō: this form points rather to a PGn variant *kov-.
