Reconstruction:Proto-Kartvelian/msxal-

This Proto-Kartvelian 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-Kartvelian

Etymology

Starostin connects the Kartvelian root with controversial Proto-North Caucasian *ʕämćō (“apple”) and Proto-Indo-European *(s)h₂émlo- (“apple”) and derives the latter from North Caucasian.

Kroonen (2016) compares it more specifically with the Proto-Indo-European *(s)m̥h₂l- that he reconstructs as the ancestor of Ancient Greek μῆλον (mêlon), Latin mālum and Hittite 𒊭𒈠𒇻 (šam(a)lu-); he further notes that only a single metathesis is required to derive the Indo-European form from that in Kartvelian.[1]

Fenwick (2016) proposes rather a deformation from Early PK *sxmal- (compare *sxmar- in Proto-Kartvelian *sxmarṭl- (“medlar”)), by folk reanalysis as an active participle *m-sx-al- of Proto-Kartvelian *sx- (“to grow, bear fruit”); she further treats Early PK *sxmal- as a loan from Late Proto-Indo-European *(s)h₂émlo- (“apple, tree fruit”),[2] supposing the latter itself to be a metathesised variant of a more archaic *(s)méh₂lo-.[3]

Root

*msxal-[4][5][6]

pear (fruit)

Descendants

Proto-Georgian-Zan:
- Old Georgian: სხალი (sxali)
  - Georgian: მსხალი (msxali), სხალი (sxali), ფსხალი (psxali)
    - → Armenian: մսխալի (msxali, “a certain variety of grapevine”)
    - → Tsez: цихоли (cixoli, “wild (of apples, pears, and other fruits)”)
- Zan:
  - Laz: მცხული (mʒxuli)
  - Mingrelian: სხული (sxuli)
Svan: იცხ (icx), უცხ (ucx), უ̂იცხ (ûicx)

References

Kroonen, Guus (2016), “On the origin of Greek μῆλον, Latin mālum, Albanian mollë and Hittite šam(a)lu- ‘apple’”, in The Journal of Indo-European Studies‎, volume 44, pages 85-91
Fenwick, Rhona S. H. (2017), “An Indo-European origin of Kartvelian names for two maloid fruits”, in Iran and the Caucasus‎, volume 21, pages 310-323
Fenwick, Rhona S. H. (2016), “Descendants and ancestry of a Proto-Indo-European phytonym *meh₂l-”, in Journal of Indo-European Studies‎, volume 44, pages 441-456
Fähnrich, Heinz (2007) Kartwelisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch [Kartvelian Etymological Dictionary] (Handbuch der Orientalistik; VIII.18) (in German), Leiden, Boston: Brill, page 296
Penrixi (Fähnrich), Hainc; Sarǯvelaʒe, Zurab (2000) Kartvelur enata eṭimologiuri leksiḳoni [Etymological Dictionary of the Kartvelian Languages] (in Georgian), 2nd edition, Tbilisi: Tbilisi Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani State University Press, page 336
Klimov, G. A. (1998) Etymological Dictionary of the Kartvelian Languages (Trends in linguistics. Documentation; 16), New York, Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, page 125

Čikobava, Arnold (1938) Č̣anur-megrul-kartuli šedarebiti leksiḳon [Laz–Megrel–Georgian Comparative Dictionary] (Works; IV) (in Georgian), Tbilisi: Arnold Chikobava Institute of Linguistics, published 2008, page 132–133
Gudava, Ṭogo (1960), “O-s u-ši gadasvlis zogierti šemtxveva zanur (megrul-č̣anur) enaši [Some cases of transition of o into u in Zan (Mingrelian-Chan) language]”, in Sakartvelos ssr mecnierebata aḳademiis moambe (in Georgian), volume 25, issue 1, Tbilisi, page 119―122
Starostin, S. A. (2005), “*msxal-”, in Kartvelian etymological database compiled on the basis of G. Klimov's and Fähnrich-Sarjveladze's etymological dictionaries of Kartvelian languages
Furnée, Edzard Johan (1979) Vorgriechisch-Kartvelisches: Studien zum ostmediterranen Substrat nebst einem Versuch zu einer neuen pelasgischen Theorie (in German), Editions Peeters, →ISBN, pages 45–46, connects with Ancient Greek ἰσχάς (iskhás)
Gamkrelidze, Th. V.; Ivanov, V. V. (1995) Indo-European and the Indo-Europeans. A Reconstruction and Historical Analysis of a Proto-Language and Proto-Culture. Part I: The Text (Trends in linguistics. Studies and monographs; 80), Berlin, New York: Mouton de Gruyter, page 799, reconstruct Proto-Kartvelian *(m̥)sx-al-; follow Furnée's derivation of Greek from this root

[1] Kroonen, Guus (2016), “On the origin of Greek μῆλον, Latin mālum, Albanian mollë and Hittite šam(a)lu- ‘apple’”, in The Journal of Indo-European Studies‎, volume 44, pages 85-91

[2] Fenwick, Rhona S. H. (2017), “An Indo-European origin of Kartvelian names for two maloid fruits”, in Iran and the Caucasus‎, volume 21, pages 310-323

[3] Fenwick, Rhona S. H. (2016), “Descendants and ancestry of a Proto-Indo-European phytonym *meh₂l-”, in Journal of Indo-European Studies‎, volume 44, pages 441-456

[4] Fähnrich, Heinz (2007) Kartwelisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch [Kartvelian Etymological Dictionary] (Handbuch der Orientalistik; VIII.18) (in German), Leiden, Boston: Brill, page 296

[5] Penrixi (Fähnrich), Hainc; Sarǯvelaʒe, Zurab (2000) Kartvelur enata eṭimologiuri leksiḳoni [Etymological Dictionary of the Kartvelian Languages] (in Georgian), 2nd edition, Tbilisi: Tbilisi Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani State University Press, page 336