Lezghian etymology : List with all references

Proto-Lezghian: *χ:ʷar, *χ:ʷar-t:

North Caucasian etymology: North Caucasian etymology

Meaning: 1 lime-tree 2 log, pole 3 tree 4 ceiling 5 beam

Lezghian: ʁʷar 2

Tabasaran: ʁʷard 2

Agul: ʁʷad 4

Rutul: χɨd 1

Tsakhur: hala-χ:ʷar 2

Archi: χ:at 5

Udi: χod 3

Comment: An interesting root. Several reflexes contain the suffix *-t: (observed also in other tree names). The oblique base can be reconstructed as *χ:or-t:V- with a regular Ablaut *a/*o, cf. Tab. Düb. ʁurdi- (in literary Tab. there occurred already a vowel levelling: ʁʷarda-, cf. also Lezg. ʁʷarc:i-, Ag. ʁʷadi-); this also explains the delabialised form Rut. χɨd (instead of *χʷad). The root means 'lime-tree' (whence 'tree' in general in Udi). Lime-tree logs must have been mainly used as poles for planking the ceiling, and this particular meaning obtains in Lezg. (Khliut dialect - in literary Lezgian it means already 'log' in general), Tab. (cf. also ʁʷarda-n 'ceiling' - but in Düb. the root preserved the original meaning 'lime-tree'), Tsakh. and Arch. (where the root means the principal holding ceiling-pole). It is interesting that some Rut. dialects preserve the meaning 'log' in compounds (cf. Ikhr. ala-χʷar 'a thick log' = Tsakh. hala-χ:ʷar), while the suffixed base *χ:ʷart: has here only the meaning 'lime-tree'. [Not quite clear is the loss of labialisation in Arch.; for the regular reflex of PL *t: cf. Arch. plur. χ:at:-ur.]

North Caucasian etymology :

Proto-North Caucasian: *χ_wārē / *rāχ_wē

Meaning: a k. of foliage tree

Proto-Tsezian: *rɨχ:V ( ~ -ʁ-)

Proto-Dargwa: *χ:ʷiri

Proto-Lezghian: *χ:ʷar, *χ:ʷar-t:

Notes: Reconstructed for the PEC level. An interesting root, denoting originally a lime-tree (or a similar foliage tree), which was used for construction (cf. the construction terms in Lezghian languages). We can reconstruct the old direct base as *χ_wārē, and the oblique one - *χ_wōrV- (cf. the situation in PL and possibly PD). In spite of the metathesis in Gunz. (possibly conditioned by analogy with *rä̆śwē 'tree, wood' q.v. and some other tree-names), the etymology seems quite plausible.

Tsezian etymology :

Proto-Tsezian: *rɨχ:V ( ~ -ʁ-)

North Caucasian etymology: North Caucasian etymology

Meaning: poplar

Gunzib: rɨχu

Comments: Attested only in Gunz., but having probable external parallels.

Dargwa etymology :

Proto-Dargwa: *χ:ʷiri

North Caucasian etymology: North Caucasian etymology

Meaning: lime-tree

Akusha: χur

Chiragh: χ:ire

Comments: Cf. also Tsud. χ:ur, Ur. χur, Kub. χij etc. Chir. χ:ʷar 'log' may reflect an old Ablaut variant (cf. the situation in Lezghian languages), but also may be a Lezg. loanword.