North Caucasian etymology : Query result

Proto-North Caucasian: *bHēmƛ_ɨ̆ (~ -ŭ,-i)

Meaning: deer, mountain goat

Proto-Avaro-Andian: *biƛ:V

Proto-Tsezian: *büʎ:V

Proto-Dargwa: *buk (~-k:)

Proto-Lezghian: *meIrƛ

Notes: Reconstructed for PEC. In PC *-ü- is a frequent substitute for *-ɨ- ( < *ē) in labialised surroundings. In PL there occurred a regular development: *bHēmƛ_ɨ̆ > *beImƛ > *meInƛ > *meIrƛ.

Proto-North Caucasian: *wħɨ̄swe (~ -ʕ-, -ś-)

Sino-Caucasian etymology: Sino-Caucasian etymology

Meaning: mountain goat; deer

Proto-Avaro-Andian: *bisV (~ -š(ʷ)-)

Proto-Lezghian: *wɨs:

Proto-West Caucasian: *š́ʷV

Notes: EC and WC forms correspond quite regularly, andthe PNC reconstruction is reliable.

Despite Abayev (3,15) and Shagirov (2,149) the comparison of PAK *śǝħV́ with PN *sag 'deer' is impossible for phonetic reasons. But there is an interesting parallel in Kartvelian (PK *šw-el- 'roe, chamois'; the comparison with NC see Trombetti 1923, 370).

Proto-North Caucasian: *ʁHwōr[č̣]o (~ -ć̣-,-ǝ)

Meaning: deer, game

Proto-Avaro-Andian: *ʁʷorč̣o (~ a)

Proto-Lezghian: *ʁIorč

Proto-Khinalug: ʁäč

Notes: Reconstructed for the PEC level. The PA and PL/Khin. forms are obviously related, although reasons for variation between č̣ and č are not clear.

Proto-North Caucasian: *ʎ_iHmV

Meaning: roe, mountain goat, deer

Proto-Nakh: *lVwV

Proto-Avaro-Andian: *ʎ(:)ama (~ o)

Proto-Lezghian: *ʎ(:)ʷij (~ -ɨ-)

Proto-West Caucasian: *ʎ́a

Notes: The root is not widely represented, but the regular correspondences between PN, Cham., Tab. and Ub. justify the reconstruction of PNC *ʎ_iHmV (in Tab. we must suppose a frequent metathesis of labialisation).

Some EC languages also have names for roe or mountain goat which are hard to separate from this root and are possibly derived from it:

a) *ʎ_im-kV ( > *ʎ_winkV or *ʎ_inkwV) reflected in Av. ʎ:inkʷá 'mountain goat', Cham. ʎũka (Gig. ʎunka) 'roe, chamois'. Note the same notation ʎ- (as in ʎama) in Cham. (only MSU recordings of the word are known to us; the strong ʎ:- in Av. presupposes the same consonant in Andian languages). A recent loan from Andian (Cham. or Tindi, where the root is not attested) is Inkh. ʎunka 'roe'. Less clear is the origin of PGB *ʎiga 'roe' (Bezht., Gunz. ʎiga) - is it an irregular development (with voicing -k- > -g-) from *ʎ_im-kV; or is it a Nakh loan (cf. Ing. lijg 'roe' with a diminutive suffix -g)?

b) *ʎ_im-tV ( > *ʎ_wintV) reflected in PD *xʷinta (Ak. hinta 'doe', Ur. hinta, Kub. xʷinta, Kait. šʷenta 'roe'). Borrowed from Darg. are Lak. hinta 'chamois, gazelle' and (from an Old Darg. form *finta) Av. pintá 'gazelle, antelope' (Chad. butá id.).

The proposed derivation of *ʎ_imkV and *ʎ_imtV seems probable to us; however, we must note that suffixes *-kV and *-tV are very rare, and more checking is needed to make a final decision on this etymology.