Sino-Caucasian etymology : List with all references

Proto-North Caucasian: *=Vq_V

Sino-Caucasian etymology: Sino-Caucasian etymology

Meaning: behind; ad / post series

Proto-Avaro-Andian: *-Vq:(i)

Proto-Lak: -χ (-χ:-)

Proto-Lezghian: *qV-, *-q

Proto-West Caucasian: [*q:ʷa-]

Notes: Reconstructed for the PEC level. The Andian evidence is in favour of reconstructing the original structure *-VCV (with changing class prefixes), but there is not enough evidence to reconstruct the precise PEC vocalism.

Avar-Andian etymology :

Protoform: *-Vq:(i)

North Caucasian etymology: North Caucasian etymology

Meaning: 1 behind 2 locative suffix (series Ad)

Avar: náq:a 1, -q: 2; -q:-an denom. profess.

Chadakolob: maq 1

Andian language: -q:- 2

Akhvakh: -q:- 2

Chamalal: -eq:e 1, -q:- 2

Tindi: -q: 2

Karata: -q: 2

Botlikh: -q:- 2

Godoberi: -q:i 2

Comments: The initial nasal in Av. (n- or m- in different dialects) is not quite clear etymologically. The original meaning of the morpheme ('behind') is preserved when it functions as an adverb; but as a locative suffix it had early (as early as Proto-Av.-And.) merged with another morpheme, PEC *-q̇_V (q.v.) and thus acquired a new meaning 'at, by, close to'. In most Andian languages this meaning is preserved until now (only in And. proper the meaning of -q:i changed: it is now confined to the plural inessive /haq̇:o-ba-q:i 'in the houses'/, and in singular is used to denote an object of verba dicendi or an inanimate ergative). The merging of *-q:i and the hypothetic *-q̇:i ( < *-q̇_V) was possible because of the phonetic affinity of the morphemes, but also because *-q:i must have also had an early additional possessive meaning ('at, by someone or smth.'), which is characteristic for most Andian languages and is observed also in the Lezgian counterpart *-q(a).

Av. (cf. dialectal forms like Chad. maq) > Lak. maq, maqa 'behind'; Arch. naqa 'back (of head)'.

Lak etymology :

Lak root: -χ (-χ:-)

North Caucasian etymology: North Caucasian etymology

Meaning: suffix of the locative case (series Post)

Lak form: -χ (-χ:-)

Lezghian etymology :

Proto-Lezghian: *qV-, *-q(a)

North Caucasian etymology: North Caucasian etymology

Meaning: 1 behind 2 suffix of a locative case (series Post)

Lezghian: -q 2; -q-an 'suffix of profession'

Tabasaran: qa 1, -q 2, prev. q-

Agul: qa 1, -q 2, prev. q-

Rutul: quʔ 1, -χ/-q 2

Tsakhur: -qa 2, -q-än 'suffix of profession'

Kryz: -χ 2

Budukh: -χ 2

Archi: χi-r 1, -χu- loc. suffix

Udi: qo-š 1

Comment: As a case marker PL *-q(a) usually denotes location behind, but can be also used as a possessive case (the same development is characteristic also for Andian parallels). Somewhat problematic is relating here the Arch. translative case in -χ-ut ('through smth.') and the comparative case in -χ-ur. See Alekseyev 1985, 54.

PL *q(a)- is also used as a preverb ('back, behind': Tab., Ag., Rut., Tsakh. q-; possibly also Lezg. -χ- with the meaning of repetitiveness ('once more'), see Alekseyev 1985, 121).

Abkhaz-Adyghe etymology :

Proto-West-Caucasian: [*q:ʷa-]

North Caucasian etymology: North Caucasian etymology

Meaning: preverb post

Adyghe: q:ʷa-

Sino-Tibetan etymology :

Proto-Sino-Tibetan: *nŏk / *nŏŋ

Sino-Caucasian etymology: Sino-Caucasian etymology

Meaning: back

Tibetan: nog cervical vertebra; hump of a camel.

Burmese: nauk space behind, LB *snukx; ǝhnauŋʔ the back of a knife, hnauŋh be after (in time), posterior.

Lushai: hnuŋ the back.

Comments: Mikir ǝnuŋ back. Ben. 76. Cf. also Sulung *ńVk 'tail'.