Proto-North Caucasian: *č̣V̆mħV
Meaning: span
Notes: In EC all forms point to a reconstruction *č̣ʷimħV. The original meaning of this root was probably "span between the thumb and the small finger" (cf. in Cham. the opposition jeƛ̣:im < *HrVŁ_V̆ : č̣ibil < *č̣ʷimħV). Outside the Andian area, however, most languages had lost the root *HrVŁ_V̆ and *č̣ʷimħV obtained first the meaning 'span (in general)', and sometimes (after the penetration of new words - for the most part borrowed, like Turk. čejrek < Pers. čahār-yak - with the meaning 'span between the thumb and the small finger') - the meaning 'span between the thumb and the fore-finger'.
The comparison of PEC *č̣wimħV and PWC *ǯa is tempting, although it presents some phonetic problems. Labialisation in PEC can be secondary (due to assimilation < *č̣imħV); loss of the cluster *-mħ- in PWC is also regular. However, lack of palatalisation in PWC can not be explained - we would regularly expect a form like *č̣́a or *ǯ́a. Perhaps this is a case of a very archaic Ablaut, involving alternation of a front and a back vowel.
