Etymology

From Proto-Abkhaz-Abaza *ǯ̍ə́-ḳā, "with a not quite clear second component". Cognate with Abaza джькӏа ‎(ǯ̍ḳā). Nikolayev / Starostin further derive from Proto-Northwest Caucasian *ǯ̍ǝ ‎(“salt”).