Proto-West-Caucasian: *mǝʎǝ
Meaning: nail, claw
Abkhaz: -ṗχǝ-c
Abaza: -ṗχǝ/-mχǝ
Comments: For PAT two compounds may be reconstructed: a) *naṗǝ-mǝxǝ 'fingernail' (*naṗǝ 'hand'), whence Abaz. naṗχǝ, Abkh. a-naṗχǝ́-c, Bz. a-naṗxǝ́-ć/a-napxǝ́-ś (with an additional suffixed -ć); b) *š́aṗǝ-mǝxǝ 'toenail' (*š́aṗǝ 'foot'), whence Abaz. š́amχǝ, Abkh. a-š́aṗχǝ́-c, Bz. a-š́aṗxǝ́-ć/a-š́apxǝ́-ś/a-š́amxǝ́-ś.
Initial *m- is clearly visible in the second compound, while in the first
it had been lost completely because of dissimilation with the initial n-.
PAT *x goes back to several PWC consonants (*ƛ̣,*ƛ,*ʎ(*ʎ:),*x); *-ʎ- is
chosen here because of EC counterparts. Abdokov (1983, 77) compares the AA
form with PAK *(p)χʷá-mba 'finger' which is semantically dubious and
phonetically impossible.
