Proto-North Caucasian: *nĕwq̇ŭ
Meaning: tear; pus
Notes: Reconstructed for the PEC level. The PN form *naṭq̇u probably reflects an original plural form (*naṭq̇u < *na(w)q̇-ṭu < *nĕwq̇-dV). In PL and Darg. there occurred (for expressive reasons or due to a rare cluster *wq̇ ? ) a strengthening of the word: they reflect a variant *nĕwq̇_ŭ. The medial -r- in PD is obviously secondary, probably having penetrated there from an original plural form in *-r, being later substituted in PD by the *-bi-plural.
The old Ablaut *nĕwq̇ŭ / *nĭwq̇V̆- in this root has remained only in PGB (where the obl. base *mɨq̇a- < *nĭwq̇V̆-). Obl. bases like Arch. nibqi- or Tab. niwq:u- in this case are ambiguous (in Arch. - because of the neutralisation of vowels in the first accentless syllable, in Tab. - because of the merger of *ä and *i).
