Reconstruction:Proto-Northeast Caucasian/ɬ:ɔn

This Proto-Northeast Caucasian 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-Northeast Caucasian

Alternative reconstructions

• #ɬ:in, class 4
• *x̱änɦï

Noun

*ɬ:ɔn (class 4) (oblique stem *ɬ:ɨ́n(w)V- /ˈɬ:ɨn.(w)V/)

1. water

Reconstruction notes

This is a tentative reconstruction, as Proto-Avar-Andi-Tsezic *ɬ:ɨn and Proto-Nakh *xi (obl. *xi- or *xin-) both only allow us to reconstruct Proto-Northeast-Caucasian *ɬ:ɨn. However, Lezghian data suggests that this may be the "*ɨ-grade" ablaut form of a noun whose absolutive form (unmarked) contains the vowel *ɔ, if the vowel alterations in Tsaxur x'an (obl. xine-), Rutul xäd (obl. xiji-), Kryz xäd (obl. xidi-), Khinalug xu (obl. xɨn-) are cognate to Proto-Nakh and Proto-Avar-Andi-Tsezic ablaut, but more work needs to be done to establish whether or not that's true (Schrijver 2021:143).

Descendants

• From oblique stem *ɬ:ɨ́n(w)V-
  • Proto-Avaro-Andian: *ɬ:ɨn (see there for further descendants)
  • Proto-Tsezian: *ɬ:ɨn (see there for further descendants)
  • Proto-Nakh: *xi (see there for further descendants)
• Unsorted formations, some retaining the ablaut:
  • Proto-Dargwa: *xin (see there for further descendants)
  • Khinalug: хьу (xu)
  • Lak: шин (šin)
  • Proto-Lezghian: *ʎ:än: (see there for further descendants)

References

• Schrijver, Peter (2021) “A history of the vowel systems of the Nakh languages (East Caucasian), with special reference to umlaut in Chechen and Ingush”, in Languages of the Caucasus‎^[2], volume 5, →DOI, →ISSN, page 143: “*χi”