Proto-North Caucasian: *Hrinfi / *Hfirni
Meaning: road, path
Notes: Reconstructed for the PEC level. Although all the listed forms surely belong together, reconstruction is very complicated because of the root's unique structure. The cluster with laryngeal is suggested by the PL reflex *r- (not *j-) and by frequent metathesis. Still we can not reduce all the variety of reflexes to a single protoform: PL *riχ and Av. nuχ suggest PEC *Hrinfi; all other forms could go back to a structure like *fini, but in view of the Lezg. and Av. forms must suggest a more complex source form, *Hfirni. Which of the two variants is primary is not as yet clear.
