COMMENTS:The regular change of PSC *b(H)VnKV > Bsq *mukV is convergent with that of some NC languages, e.g. Tabasaran muḳ-ruḳ 'fir tree'. Some Bsq dialects, BNV-Garazi, LAB-Ainhoa, have the word muku 'snot, mucus', which is apparently influenced by, if not borrowed from, Latin mūcum, and the native Bsq and Romance words have blended.
MEANING:1 mound, small hill 2 small heap, stack 3 pellet, lump
BZK:(Oñate) mollo 3
LAB:mulho, mulo 1, 2, (arc) mulko 1, 2
ZBR:mulho 1, 2
COMMENTS:Trask (1995) following Meyer-Lübke (1935) derives this word from "Gallo-Romance" *mūla, but no ultimate source is indicated. We think the source may be Vasconic < PSC (cf. PNC. *muɦalV, which accounts for the laryngeal in *mulho).
COMMENTS:Per Mitxelena (1961) and Trask (1995) this word and *hune (q.v.) are "regional variants" of the same word, and suggest Schuchardt's derivation from Lat. fune- 'rope'. Since both words can coexist in the same dialect (e.g., BZK un 'marrow, pith' vs. muin 'germ, sprout'; SAL un-ak 'brains' vs. muña 'marrow, pith') we think the words are of distinct origin (PSC*hwĭʔnV, *mV̆́ɦnū, resp.), but there has been phonetic and semantic blending.
MEANING:1 snout, muzzle 2 corner, edge 3 goatee under the lip
BZK:mustur 1, 2, (Ispaster, Oñate) mustar 3
COMMENTS:Similar to *mutu-r̄ (q.v.), but is etymologically distinct. It fits phonologically with PEC *mHărčwV 'pus; mucus, snot': cf. the correspondence of Bsq *-śt- : PNC *-rč- in Bsq *ɦeśte (~ *ɦerce) ‘intestine’ ~ PNC *HĂrčV (~ *rHĂčV ~ *čĂrHV) ‘stomach, abomasum’ (Avar ʕorčo ), and a few other cases.
MEANING:1 boy 2 apprentice 3 servant 4 skilled worker 5 little boy
BZK:mutil 1, 2, mutiko 5
GIP:mutil 1, 2, mutiko 5
ANV:mutil 1, 2, 3
BNV:mutil 1, 3, 4, muthiko 5
LAB:mutil 1, 3, 4
BZT:mutiko 5
ZBR:mithil 1, 3
RNC:mitil 1, 3
COMMENTS:Cf. PNC *mɨ̆lƛ̣_V̆ 'husband, male, worker'. The phonology requires a development such as *murti-l > *multil > *mutil (assimilation, then dissimilation).
COMMENTS:Phonetic development seems to have been *murtu-r̄ > *mutur̄, with dissimilation. Cf. *mutil < *murti-l. *mutu-r̄ is a distinct etymon from *muśtu-r̄, q.v.
COMMENTS:This comparison is somewhat dubious, since PSC *k normally corresponds to Bsq *h, also /g/ secondarily in southern dialects. Or is naka a contraction of *naha-ka?
COMMENTS:Note the general tendency of western Bsq /e/ vs. eastern /i/ in words for 'tears'. There is an old ablaut alternation in PEC: *nĕwq̇ŭ / *nĭwq̇V̆-, which may have been redistributed regionally in Bsq.
COMMENTS:This word is commonly attributed to Latin nex (accusative necem) '(violent) death, murder' (Michelena 1961, etc.). It is apparent that there is a big semantic gap: there is no hint of 'violent death' or 'murder' in the Bsq meaningsː Burushaski maq 'rheumatism, pain' is much closer semantically. The nearest Romance reflexes also have quite different meanings: Spanish anegar 'to drown, to flood' < Lat. enecāre 'to kill'.
COMMENTS:In RNC the connotation was only 'servant girl, maid', while in other dialects neska has an unfavorable connotation that is avoided by using various suffixes: neskato, neskatilla, neskatxa, etc. (see Azkue).
COMMENTS:Niniko, ninika are also used in some dialects for 'bud, (off-)shoot' (of plants). SAL beginini 'middle, center' is obviously a development from 'pupil (center) of eye'. NC parallels like Lezgi nini 'doll', wilin-nini 'pupil of eye' and Burushaski (Y) =nini 'pupil' indicate some considerable antiquity of this expressive word.
COMMENTS:Cf. Aquitanian personal names OSSON-, OXSON-, as well as the Spanish surname Ochoa (= Bsq *očo-a 'the little wolf'). Bouda (1948) compared Bsq + Batsbi borc̣, etc.
