Proto-West-Caucasian: *Ł́ʷa
Meaning: 1 rib 2 side 3 (preverb) by side of
Abkhaz: á-va-ra 2
Abaza: ʒa-rta 2
Adyghe: cā-ɣa 1
Kabardian: ʒā-ža 1
Ubykh: ʒa- 3
Comments: PAT *ǯʷa in compounds *ǯʷa-rV(-ta) 'side' (Abkh. á-va-ra, Abaz. ʒa-rta), *ǯʷa-c̣ǝs 'rib' (Abkh. a-va-c̣ǝ́s, Abaz. ʒa-c̣ǝ́s); the morpheme *ǯʷa is also used as a preverb 'side, by side of' ( = Ub. ʒa-). PAK *-Ła in a compound *c:a-Łá 'rib(s)' (*c:a- 'tooth, sharp edge'). The correspondence PAK *Ł (Ad. ɣ, Kab. ž) :PAT *ǯʷ (Abkh. v, Abaz. ʒ) : Ub. ʒ points only to PWC *Ł́ʷ. The original meaning "rib" is preserved in PAT and PAK compounds.
