North Caucasian etymology : Query result

Proto-North Caucasian: *gwērdV (*gwēṭV-rV)

Sino-Caucasian etymology: Sino-Caucasian etymology

Meaning: a beast or bird of prey

Proto-Nakh: *kōri

Proto-Avaro-Andian: *gʷVrV

Proto-Dargwa: *k:urt:a

Proto-Lezghian: *k:ʷert:(a)

Proto-Khinalug: gra

Notes: Reconstructed for the PEC level;correspondences are regular. This is an interesting word, signifying both a beast (hyena, fox, wolf) and a bird (hawk, falcon) of prey.

It is interesting to note that the word for "hawk" in Gunz. is gudba-q (derived from gud-ba "fowl"), and in Abkhaz we have a-ḳʷǝṭ-rǝ́-χ́š́ 'a hawk hunting for fowl' (á-χ́š́ 'hawk') and a-ḳʷǝṭ-rǝ́-bga / a-ḳʷṭǝ́-r-bga 'fox' (á-bga 'fox'). In both cases we have forms containing PNC *gwāṭV 'hen' (q.v.), and phonetically close to the root *gwērdV that we are dealing with. This may have several explanations:

a) a pure coincidence (which is rather unlikely);

b) the root *gwērdV meaning 'beast or bird of prey' merged in Gunz. and Abkh. with *gwāṭV (Gunz. gudo, Abkh. a-ḳʷṭǝ́) and came to mean 'bird of prey hunting for fowl';

c) the PEC root *gwērdV could be assimilated from *gwērṭV < *gwēṭV-rV-, representing the oblique base of *gwāṭV 'hen', and was itself actually meaning '(one hunting) for fowl' in PNC.

[One may note also an aberrant form: Bezht. Tlad. kordaḳo 'kite' which may represent a contamination of this root with another one, reflected in Bezht. Khosh. korzaḳo id.].

We are inclined to accept the third hypothesis (because it explains well all the semantic diversity in modern EC reflexes).