Proto-North Caucasian: *ʔlēƛă
Meaning: night
Notes: The PTs form is a contraction of the deictic particle *ho- (q.v.) + the expected reflex *lɨL > *rɨL (*ho-lɨL > *hulL > *hũL). In PWC the specific cluster *ʔl- developped into *ƛ, with a regular strengthening before a long vowel; the resulting *ƛ:VʎV (where -ʎ- regularly < *-ƛ-) developed into *ƛ:Vʎ:V through assimilation. Although superficially the EC and WC forms are very different, they are no doubt genetically related.
Trubetzkoy (1922, 239) incorrectly compares the PA root with Lezg. jif (which in reality goes back to PEC *ɦnić_wV q.v.).
