Proto-Lezghian: *p:e(m)ṭ (~b-)
Meaning: 1 snake 2 grub, larva (of a fly)
Lezghian: büṭ-rük 2 2
Tabasaran: biṭ 1 1
Comment: Cf. also Tab. Khiv. beṭ (pointing to *-e- or -ä-). The second component in the Lezg. form is probably the same as rüc/rük 'grass-snake', thus the meaning 'grub, larva' is clearly secondary (-ü- in the first syllable is a result of vowel assimilation).
External data suggest that this root must have contained a medial nasal resonant; while *-n- would have been preserved in Tab. and Lezg., medial *-m- may be reconstructed (since in the position before *-ṭ- it is only distinguished from -0- in Archi).
