Proto-Nakh: *ɦāχḳ́i > *ɦāhḳ́i
Meaning: iron
Chechen: ēčig
Ingush: äšk
Batsbi: ʕajhḳĭ
Comments: 3d class in all languages. The word has a complicated phonetic history. The original form *ɦāχḳi was already in PN transformed (through assimilation) into *ɦāhḳ́i, which is directly reflected in Bacb. ʕajhḳĭ (notation of Kadagidze; Matsiyev has ajħḳ, and Desheriyev - ʕajħḳ). In Checheno-Ingush the word obtained a common diminutive suffix *-ḳ: *ɦāhḳ́i-ḳ, with further (regular) palatalisation > *ʔāč̣iḳ. This form, with assimilation and reduction, yielded Chech. ēčig (obl. äčka- < *ʔāčiḳe-) and Ing. äšk.
