Proto-West-Caucasian: *pǝʎV
Meaning: 1 warm 2 to boil
Abkhaz: á-pχa 1
Abaza: pχa 1
Adyghe: pš́-ta-n 2
Kabardian: pś-tǝ-n 2
Ubykh: pśǝ 1
Comments: PAT *pǝxa (cf. also Bz. á-pxa). The AK form raises some problems: it may be treated on Adygh ground as a contraction of *pš:́ǝ-ta- (cf. *pš:́ǝ- 'to swell up'), see Kuipers 1975, 92, Shagirov 2,34. In this case it does not belong here. Cf., however, Kab. pśtǝ-r 'hot' and AK *pš́a- 'to cook' which could also serve as basis for *pš́(ǝ)-tA-. We prefer (for the time being) the second hypothesis, although it is rather probable that a contamination occurred in the PAK derivate.
PAK *pš́a- 'cook' is reflected in Kab. pśa-f̣a- 'cook (v.)', pśā-f̣a 'cook (n.)', Ad. pš́a-rǝħ (Bzhed. pš́arāħǝ) 'cook; young man serving elder', pśa-rǝħa- 'cook (v.)' (suffixes are not quite clear both in Ad. and Kab.).
