COMMON CAUCASIAN: THE SWADESH LIST EVIDENCE

by Iurii Mosenkis

Kartvelian and North Caucasian languages demonstrate many parallels in the basic lexicon. It may be
interpreted as an evidence of the affinities between two language families which represent two
hypothetical macrofamilies, Nostratic and Sino-Caucasian.

that Kartv. *ma- : WC *m(a)-, EC *ma-1

not Kartv. *ma : WC *ma EC *ma2
two Kartv. *t’q’u-p- twin WC * t’ q’w a - , EC *t’q’wa- 3

fish PC *čxam- : PNC *χ_wanиV fish

bird PK *čxiḳw- jaybird PNC *č̣āmʁā a kind of bird jackdaw, magpie
dog Georg.-Zan. *xwad- male 4, PK *xwir- male, male dog > Swan xwir- : PNC
*χ_Hweje dog
tree PK *biga big stick PNC *bиǝ̄nq_V stick
seed PK *te-s to sow WC *ta-s to seed , EC *ta-s to cast 5; PN *tas- to cast, to
sow , PAK *taj(ǝ)sa- to sow 6
skin Kartv. *qam-l- skin of goat, sheep WC *txam- skin , Daghest. ham, t’om
skin ; PNC *χ āmV > PWC *t-q:amǝ ‘skin’
7

flesh Kartv. *leγw- meat in Swan , fig WC *ly meat , EC dik’ meat 8; PNC *räƛ̣_ɨ
‘meat’
horn Svan. mič’v horn 9, muč’v- horn 10 : PNC *muč̣U ‘stick’
tail PK *ḳwad- tail PNC *ḳwV[c]V tail
feather PK *ɣlia- armpit PNC *q_ɨl i elbow arm, wing
hair PK *c̣wer- beard PNC *ć̣иwǝ̄rǝ hair

1 К . А. О з а ка каз к х яз к , В яз к з а я, 1968, № , .
20.
2 К . А. О з …, . .
3 К . А. О з …, . .
4 The reconstruction after: К .А. Эт че к а ка т е к х яз к , ., , . 258.
5 К .А. О з …, . .
6 http://starling.rinet.ru/cgi-

bin/response.cgi?root=config&morpho=0&basename=%5Cdata%5Ckart%5Ckartet&first=1&off=&text_pro
to=&method_proto=substring&ic_proto=on&text_rusmean=&method_rusmean=substring&ic_rusmean=o
n&text_meaning=sow&method_meaning=substring&ic_meaning=on&text_gru=&method_gru=substring
&ic_gru=on&text_grmean=&method_grmean=substring&ic_grmean=on&text_egrmean=&method_egrme
an=substring&ic_egrmean=on&text_meg=&method_meg=substring&ic_meg=on&text_mgmean=&metho
d_mgmean=substring&ic_mgmean=on&text_emgmean=&method_emgmean=substring&ic_emgmean=on
&text_sva=&method_sva=substring&ic_sva=on&text_svmean=&method_svmean=substring&ic_svmean=
on&text_esvmean=&method_esvmean=substring&ic_esvmean=on&text_laz=&method_laz=substring&ic_
laz=on&text_lzmean=&method_lzmean=substring&ic_lzmean=on&text_elzmean=&method_elzmean=sub
string&ic_elzmean=on&text_notes=&method_notes=substring&ic_notes=on&text_any=&method_any=su
bstring&sort=proto&ic_any=on
7 К . А. О з …, . .
8 К . А. Ка каз к е яз к , ., , . .
9 Kakha Naveriani s personal communication with O. V. Malovichko.

10 К . А. О т че к к а ат т к , ., , . .
 eye PK * ́ twal- eye PNC *ʡwilʡi eye, PNC * iŁ_V to look > Proto-Nakh *t-all-
mouth PNK *bĕk’w a part of face, mouth (Nakh *bak’a etc. С, . : Georg.
baga lip ; PNK *pŭrV a part of face under the nose , nose С, . 876) : Georg. piri (<
Proto-Karthv. mouth PNC *beḳwǝ part of face, mouth > Chechen baga, Ingush bage
mouth, Lezghian group lip
tooth Kartv. *cal- one thing WC *ca tooth , EC *cer tooth 11; PNC *cɨɫɦV̄ ‘tooth’ >
Proto-Nakh *ca, Proto-Avaro-Andian *colu, PWC *c:A
hand PK *qel- hand PNC *kwīlʡɨ hand 12; PNK *b[ ]cV « а а, а к
» Avar-And. *bic:V, з к. *bisV .) ( С, . 291) – Georg. biča «
13 к»14 –
Basq. b-eso « ка»15
heart PK *gu-l- heart PNC *jerḳwi heart > Proto-Nakh *do-ḳ, PWK *́ʷǝ : Basq. bi-
hotz heart 16
sun PC *d-eɣ- / *d-ɣe- day PNC *wirǝ̄q_A sun < PNC *hwēri day and *Hwīq_
day, Sun 17;
moon PK *ḿe- Sun PNC *wǝmc̣_o moon 18;
star PK *ʒ́egw- thorny bush , PK *cxw- thorn, arrow , Georg. džvari cross , Zan
cognates stick, prick 19 (cf. arrow and star in Indo-European) : Basq. isar star 20;
rain Proto-Karthv. *zγwa > а . zuγa-, Svan zuγwa sea K. Bouda proposes Proto-
Karthv. reconstruction *zuγwa)21 : PNC *ʒ́igV hail rain
earth Georg. mic’a earth : PNC *melʒ́_V place, ground or rather PNC *mič̣wV
meadow, hill slope
fire Kartv. *cx1- : PNC *c̣ajɨ fire : Basque su fire 22;
yellow Kartv. *q’w- yellow WC *γw a - dry, yellow , EC *q’ur- dry 23; PNC
*=eq_wA yellow
night Georg γame night Proto-Lezgi *xIam > Tsakh. xIam night , Tabas. xIab-
evening , Abkhaz -xa night Basque gau, gaba night 24;
hot Kartv. *px- warm WC *pxa warm , EC *px warm 25

11 К . А. Ка каз к е…, . .
12 Cf.: К . А. О з …, . .
13 Possible class prefix b-.

14 Old class prefix?

15 Class prefix.

16 Cf.: К . А. О з …, . 24.
17 Cf.: К . А. Ка каз к е… , . 71.
18 Cf. К . А. Ка каз к е…, . .
19 К . А. Эт че к …, . .
20 North Caucasian-Basque after: Ч к а .А. а к к … . 102.
21 Kartvelian after К . А. Эт че к … – С. .
22 North Caucasian-Basque parallels after Ч к а .А. а к к ка каз к яз к , Д е яя
А ат я, ., , . .
23 К . А. О з …, . .
24 North Caucasian-Basque after: Ч к а .А. а к к …, . 103.
25 К . А. Ка каз к е…, . .