Reconstruction:Proto-Georgian-Zan/mec̣₁rxal-

This Proto-Georgian-Zan 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-Georgian-Zan

Etymology

*c̣₁irx- / *rc̣₁ix- (“to chirp”) +‎ *me- -al. In Georgian წ > ც (c̣ > c) change occurred due to the onomatopoeic nature of the root.

Noun

*me-c̣₁rx-al-

1. swallow (bird)

Descendants

• Old Georgian: მერცხალი (mercxali)
  • Georgian: მერცხალი (mercxali)
• Zan:
  • Mingrelian: მაჭირხოლი (mač̣irxoli), მაჭჷრხოლი (mač̣ərxoli), მარჭიხოლი (marč̣ixoli)

References

• Klimov, G. A. (1998) Etymological Dictionary of the Kartvelian Languages (Trends in linguistics. Documentation; 16), New York, Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, page 121
• Fähnrich, Heinz (2007) Kartwelisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch [Kartvelian Etymological Dictionary] (Handbuch der Orientalistik; VIII.18) (in German), Leiden, Boston: Brill, page 354―355