Proto-West-Caucasian: *bǝĹa
Meaning: 1 between, inside 2 near
Abkhaz: a-bž́á-ra 1
Abaza: bž́a-ra 1
Adyghe: bLā-ʁa 2
Kabardian: bLā-ʁa 2
Ubykh: bLa- 1
Comments: PAT *bǝž́a- (also used as a preverb 'between, inside' = Ub. bLa-). In PAK the preverb *bLa- means 'past (smth.)'. Its original meaning must have been 'near', cf. *bLa-ʁá 'near', and it has hardly any connection with PAK *bLa 'arm' q.v. In spite of some semantic difficulties we think that it is possible to relate PAK *bLa- 'near, past' to the Ub. and PAT forms (a semantic shift of 'inside' to 'environs').
