Reconstruction:Proto-Georgian-Zan/lorc̣-

*lorc̣-

1. mucilage, mucus

For the emergence of unexplained კ (ḳ) in positions after წ (c̣) in alternative forms of Georgian, compare წიწვი ~ წიწკი (c̣ic̣vi ~ c̣ic̣ḳi, “needle ~ twig”), ბაწარი ~ ბაწკი (bac̣ari ~ bac̣ḳi, “thread ~ weak thread”), წნელი ~ წკნელი (c̣neli ~ c̣ḳneli, “cane, wand”), and, possibly, ძეწკვი ← *ძეწვი (ʒec̣ḳvi ← *ʒec̣vi, “jewelry chain”) (if this word is not a Zan borrowing).

• ⇒ Georgian: ლორწო (lorc̣o), ლორწი (lorc̣i), ლორწკო (lorc̣ḳo), ლორწკი (lorc̣ḳi)
• Zan:
  • Laz: ლერწი (lerǯi), ლეწი (leǯi), ლენწი (lenǯi), ლემწი (lemǯi)

• Ḳelauraʒe, Levan (2014) “Damaṭebani kartvelur enata eṭimologiuri leksiḳonisatvis - II [Addenda to Etymological Dictionary of Kartvelian Languages - II]”, in Eṭimologiuri ʒiebani (in Georgian), volume XI, Tbilisi: Dedaena, page 25 of 17–37

• Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1973) “լորձն”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, volume II, Yerevan: University Press, page 298, derives the Georgian from Old Armenian լորձն (lorjn), լորձ (lorj)
• Djahukian, Gevorg (2003) “Notes on Some Lexical Correspondences between Armenian and the Kartvelian Languages”, in Iran and the Caucasus‎, volume 7, number 1/2, page 193 of 191–194, connects with Old Armenian լորձն (lorjn), լորձ (lorj)
• Klimov, G. A. (1964) Этимологический словарь картвельских языков [Etymological Dictionary of the Kartvelian Languages] (in Russian), Moscow: Academy Press, page 189, derives Georgian ლორწო (lorc̣o, “mucus, slime”), Mingrelian ფერწო (perc̣o, “snail”), Laz ფენწე (penǯe, “snail”) from Proto-Georgian-Zan *porc̣o- (“slime”) with unexplained ლ < *ფ (l < *p) in Georgian; this reconstruction is no longer considered in Klimov 1998
• Schmidt, Karl Horst (1962) Studien zur Rekonstruktion des Lautstandes der südkaukasischen Grundsprache (Abhandlungen für die Kunde des Morgenlandes; XXXIV, 3)‎ (in German), Wiesbaden: Kommissionsverlag Franz Steiner GmbH, page 76
• Vogt, Hans (1988) Linguistique caucasienne et arménienne (Studia Caucasologica; II)‎ (in French), Oslo: Norwegian University Press, page 127