Proto-West-Caucasian: *q̇Iʷǝ
Meaning: 1 hair 2 feather, wool 3 hairless, bald
Abkhaz: a-χʷǝ́ 1
Abaza: qwǝ 1,2
Adyghe: q:ʷǝjǝ 3
Kabardian: q:ʷij 3
Ubykh: q̇Iʷǝ 1,2
Comments: PAT *qʷǝ (cf. also Bz. a-χʷǝ́; in Abaz. the meaning 'a hair' is expressed by a derivate form qʷǝ-c). PAK *q:ʷǝ-jǝ́ (where -jǝ is a privative suffix) - this comparison seems irreproachable to us, whereas the comparison of AA and Ub. forms with PAK *xʷǝ-č̣́a- 'to wash (head)', proposed by Shagirov (2, 77) is worse semantically and impossible phonetically.
The old derivate *q̇Iʷǝ-cǝ ( > Abaz. qʷǝc) with some irregular processes (loss or metathesis of labialisation) is also reflected in PAT *qǝcʷǝ > Abkh. a-χć̌ǝ́ (Bzyb. a-χć̌ǝ́) 'braid, plait', Abaz. qǝčʷ "bird's comb", PAK *ʎa-q:ǝca (*ʎa 'foot') 'shaggy fetlocks'.
