Reconstruction:Proto-Georgian-Zan/ɣerʒ₁-

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

Noun

*ɣerʒ₁-

1. (anatomy) shinbone, shin, shank

Reconstruction notes

რ ~ ნ (r ~ n) alternation is very common in Zan languages, compare: Laz გუნძე (gunże, “long”), გინძე (ginże) against Mingrelian გირძე (girʒe), გინძე (ginʒe); Laz ფენწო (penǯo, “snail”) against Mingrelian ფერწო (perc̣o).

For the sense development typologically compare Old Armenian լիսեռն (liseṙn, “shinbone, tibia”), which developed into Armenian լիսեռ (liseṙ, “axis, axle, spindle”), as well as Italian fusolo (“shinbone, tibia”), from fuso (“spindle”).

Descendants

• Old Georgian: *ღერძი (*ɣerʒi, “axle, shaft, kingpin, pivot”) (attested as ურმის-ღერძი (urmis-ɣerʒi))
  • Georgian: ღერძი (ɣerʒi)
• Zan:
  • Laz: ღანჯი (ğanci, “calf; leg”)

References

• Čuxua, Merab (2009) “Damaṭebiti masalebi saertokartveluri puʒe-enis leksiḳuri pondisatvis [The Additional Materials for the Commonkartvelian Proto-language Lexical Fund]”, in Kartvelur enata sṭrukṭuris saḳitxebi (in Georgian), number 10, Tbilisi: Universali, page 233 of 227–250