#486 PTB *l-kwak THROAT / NECK

The Karbi and Meithei forms with kr‑ clusters may well have arisen by metathesis from the *liquid prefix and *velar root initial.

In line with the frequently noted tendency of words meaning NECK / THROAT to have velar initials, we have reconstructed no fewer than eleven etyma with initial velars or velar clusters: #389 PTB *s/r‑gwa‑n NECK / NAPE, #481 PTB *s/m‑key‑k NECK, #486 PTB *l‑kwak THROAT / NECK, #488 PTB *k‑(r/l)aw THROAT / PALATE, #489 PTB *k/s‑raw(k/ŋ) ⪤ *k‑rwa(k/ŋ) THROAT, #491 PTB *grey‑k THROAT, #493 PTB *kak THROAT, #494 PTB *ka THROAT / NECK, #495 PTB *kwa THROAT / NECK, #3361 PTB *gwaŋ NECK / THROAT, and #5651 PTB *ku NECK / THROAT.

It is highly likely that some of these etyma are allofams of each other. It is equally likely that a given supporting form may have been assigned to the wrong etymon. However, on the basis of the available data, this may be the best that can be done at this point.