Proto-North Caucasian: *ḳ_wVḳV
Meaning: soft; to make soft, knead
Notes: A reduplicated root with assimilative / dissimilative processes. Despite them, the etymology seems rather probable.
A similar root exists in WC: PWC *ḳʷaχ́IV 'to knead, mix' (PAA *ḳʷVħa- > Abkh. á-ḳʷaħa-ra, Abaz. ḳʷħa-ra 'to knead', PAK *ḳʷǝħa- > Ad. (zaxaʁa)-ḳʷǝħa-n 'to mix'), but the uvular -χ́I- here is a serious obstacle for the EC-WC comparison (unless we suppose that the the original form underwent assimilation as early as in PEC).
