PROTO: *č̣wɨ̆nhV
MEANING: flea; nit
COMMENT: Reconstructed for the PEC level. In PTs the labialisation had passed to the Inlaut resonant (a rather frequent development). The Avaro-Andian forms contain a dental suffix. Therefore it is most probable that Lak. č̣iṭ, Darg. (Ak.) č̣iṭ 'bug' are borrowed from Avar (they correspond badly to other EC forms, but are well explained if we assume a loan).
There exists, however, another parallel in the Lak.-Darg. area: cf. Darg. Chir. čaṭ 'grass-hopper', Lak. č̣aṭi 'larva'. It is not excluded that these forms reflect the same suffixed form as Av. č̣eṭ, i.e. PEC *č̣wɨ̆n-ṭV (*č̣ɨ̆m-ṭV).
