Reconstruction:Proto-Nakh/ʕe

This Proto-Nakh 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.

This Proto-Nakh entry contains original research. The reconstruction in this entry is based on published research, but the specific form presented here is not found in prior works.

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Dutch linguist Peter Schrijver,^[1] reconstructs the oblique stem *ʕanir- for the Chechen reflex (this is not confirmed by the Bats material). However, Uslar’s work^[2] contains a form in the genitive singular ԧeнерің with -e- in the second syllable:

• *ʕanariᶰ (assimilation 1) > *ʕaneriᶰ (assimilation 2) > *ʕäneriᶰ (reduction) > Chechen ӏаьнаран (ˀänaran);
• *ʕanariᶰ (syncope) > *ʕanriᶰ > Bats ჺანრიჼ (ʿanrĩ).

And the nominative plural:

• *ʕanariš (assimilation 1) > *ʕaneriš (assimilation 2) > *ʕäneriš (reduction) > Chechen ӏаьнарш (ˀänarš);
• *ʕanariš (apocope 1) > *ʕanari (refraction or i-epenthesis) > *ʕanaⁱri (apocope 2) > Bats ჺანაჲრ (ʿanayr).

It follows from this that his reconstruction is incorrect.

*ʕe

1. steam

• Bats: ჺა (ʿa) (< oblique *ʕanar-)
• Vainakh:
  • Chechen: ӏаь (ˀä), ӏа (ˀa) (< oblique *ʕanar-)
  • Ingush: ӏи (ˀi)

• Nikolaev, Sergei L., Starostin, Sergei A. (1994) “*ʡe”, in A North Caucasian Etymological Dictionary‎, Moscow: Asterisk Publishers