Reconstruction:Proto-Kartvelian/ḳel-

This Proto-Kartvelian entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Kartvelian

Etymology 1

Root 1

*ḳel- : *ḳl-

1. to lack, to be short of something

Reconstruction notes

Despite Fähnrich-Sarǯvelaʒe deriving Mingrelian გიი-პ-კალ-იფ-ი (gii-ṗ-ḳal-ip-i, “[I] left (empty-handed)”) from this root, its basic meaning is "to empty, leave" rather than "to lack" (cf. კალ-იფ-უ-ა (ḳal-ip-u-a, “vacating, becoming empty”)).

The more likely, if only slightly unusual, Zan descendants are linked by Kiria. For that cognate set რკ- ← *კრ- ← *კლ- (rḳ- ← *ḳr- ← *ḳl-) process is to be assumed.

Descendants

• Proto-Georgian-Zan:
  • ⇒ Old Georgian: კლებაჲ (ḳlebay, “decline, decrease (in numbers)”), დაკლებაჲ (daḳlebay, “depriving, losing, loss”), მაკლს (maḳls, “[I] lack”)
  • Zan:
    • ⇒ Laz: დორკინუ (dorǩinu, “decline, decrease”)
    • ⇒ Mingrelian: დორკაფა (dorḳapa, “depriving, losing, loss”)
• ⇒ Svan: ლიკლი (liḳli, “depriving, losing, loss”), ხოკლი (xoḳli, “[he, she, it] lacks (something)”)

Derived terms

• ⇒ Proto-Georgian-Zan: *m-ḳl-e- (“deprived, lacking, short”)
  • Old Georgian: მოკლჱ (moḳlē, “short”)
    • Georgian: მოკლე (moḳle), მკლე (mḳle) — Khevsureti
  • Zan:
    • Laz: მკულე (mǩule, “short”)
    • ⇒ Mingrelian: ხე-კულე (xe-ḳule, “deprived of hand(s)”)

Root 2

*ḳel- : *ḳl-

1. to be lame, limp

Descendants

• Proto-Georgian-Zan:
  • ⇒ Old Georgian: კელობაჲ (ḳelobay, “limping”), მკელობელი (mḳelobeli, “lame”), მკელობრებაჲ (mḳelobrebay, “lameness”)
  • Zan: *ḳal-
    • →? Old Armenian: կաղ (kał)
• ⇒ Svan: მჷკლი (məḳli, “lame, limping”), იკლი (iḳli, “[he, she, it] limps”), ლა̈ჲკილა (läyḳila, “[he, she, it] limped”)

References

• Brosset, M. (1834) “Aperçu général de la langue géorgienne”, in Journal asiatique (in French), volume 14, page 385 of 369–405
• Klimov, G. A. (1998) Etymological Dictionary of the Kartvelian Languages (Trends in linguistics. Documentation; 16), New York, Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, page 89
• Fähnrich, Heinz, Sarǯvelaʒe, Zurab (2000) Kartvelur enata eṭimologiuri leksiḳoni [Etymological Dictionary of the Kartvelian Languages] (in Georgian), 2nd edition, Tbilisi: University Press, page 268
• Fähnrich, Heinz (2007) Kartwelisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch [Kartvelian Etymological Dictionary] (Handbuch der Orientalistik; VIII.18) (in German), Leiden, Boston: Brill, pages 227–228
• Kiria, Č̣abuḳi, Ezugbaia, Lali, Memišiši, Omar, Čuxua, Merab (2015) Lazur-megruli gramaṭiḳa [Laz–Mingrelian Grammar] (in Georgian), Tbilisi: Gamomcemloba Meridiani, page 832
• Thorsø, Rasmus (2023) Prehistoric loanwords in Armenian: Hurro-Urartian, Kartvelian, and the unclassified substrate‎^[1], PhD dissertation, Leiden University, page 54

Etymology 2

Root

*ḳel- : *ḳl-

1. to get stuck, crammed in

Descendants

• Proto-Georgian-Zan:
  • ⇒ Georgian: დაკელვა (daḳelva, “to press, twist together”)
  • Zan:
    • ⇒ Mingrelian: დონკალუა (donḳalua, “stuffing, cramming full”)
• ⇒ Svan: ხენკე̄ლი (xenḳēli, “[it's] stuck, crammed, imprisoned”), ხენკლი (xenḳli)

References

• Čuxua, Merab (2000–2003) Kartvelur ena-ḳilota šedarebiti leksiḳoni [The Kartvelian Comparative Dictionary] (in Georgian), Tbilisi: Universali, page 171
• Fähnrich, Heinz (2007) Kartwelisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch [Kartvelian Etymological Dictionary] (Handbuch der Orientalistik; VIII.18) (in German), Leiden, Boston: Brill, page 227