Proto-Lezghian: *ħɨrč:ʷ ( ~ *ʡ-)
Meaning: 1 tail 2 (sheep's) fat tail
Tabasaran: riž̌ 1
Agul: ruž 1
Rutul: ǯɨ-bɨr 1
Tsakhur: ǯɨ-ḳrɨ 2 (?)
Kryz: ǯi 1
Budukh: ǯi-bir 1
Archi: oIč 1
Udi: ožiI-l 1
Comment: In Tab. and Ag. there occurred a metathesis (*Hɨrč:ʷ > *rɨč:ʷ) with the loss of initial laryngeal; that is why both reconstructing *ħ- and *ʡ- (on basis of the Arch. pharyngealisation) is permitted. The PL obl. vowel stem must have been *Hɨrč:ʷɨ-; it became the direct stem (possibly with a suffixed *-j) in Eastern Lezghian, where afterwards the initial weak syllable disappeared. This would explain the Kryz., Bud. and Rut. forms (the latter two have finally added the plural suffix to the root). Unclear is the element -ḳrɨ in Tsakh. See Гигинейшвили 1977, 85.
