From Middle Georgian არჩვი (arčvi, “four-legged”), from Proto-Georgian-Zan *arčw- (“chamois”) (however, if Svan ჰერსკნ (hersḳn) is not a borrowing, then the word can be reconstructed for Proto-Kartvelian). Cognate with Mingrelian ერცქემი (erckemi), ერსქემი (erskemi). Possibly related to Abkhaz аҽа (aĉa, “doe, female deer”) and Ubykh ʒʷa (“deer; gazelle”), from Proto-Northwest Caucasian *a-č́ʷa, and maybe also Lezgi гъуьрч (ġürč, “deer, game”).