Proto-North Caucasian: *Hnɨ̄χ_wV
Meaning: palate
Notes: Reconstructed for the PEC level. There are some irregularities: a) PN has -q- instead of expected *-ħ- - maybe this can be explained by a contamination with the homonymous *nāqa 'breast' (q.v.) - 'palate' as 'breast of mouth' ? b) PD has *χ instead of expected *χ:. This may be explained by the influence of the phonetically similar PEC root *χɦwɨ̆mχV 'cheek' q.v. (note an analogous contamination in Avar; however, note also that this contamination in PD must have taken place rather early, because the reflex of *χɦwɨ̆mχV - PD *χIʷaχI - has in PD already acquired the meaning 'buttock').
