Know the Etymology: 215
Place Name of the Day: Saturday, 16 June 2012

Vara’ni, Maavilangkan-thu’rai

வரணி, மாவிலங்கன்துறை
Varaṇi, Māvilaṅkaṉtuṟai

Vara’ni, Maavilangkan+thu’rai

The (place of) Vara’ni trees
The port of Maavilangkai trees
(Crataeva religiosa roxburghii)

Vara’ni	Also Vara’nam, Maavilangkai: round-berried cuspidate-leaved lingam tree, Crataeva religiosa roxburghii (Tamil, MTL, Naamatheepa Lexicon); Vara’nam: Surrounding, rampart, surrounding wall, covering, screening (Tamil MTL, Jaffna Dictionary); Vara’na: Rampart, mound, the tree Crataeva roxburghii (Sanskrit); Vara’naka: Covering, covering over, concealing (Sanskrit); Varu’na, Varu’naka: Crataeva roxburgii (Sanskrit); Vara’no: A surrounding wall, rampart, the tree Crataeva roxburghii (Prakrit/ Pali); Vara’na, Lu’nu-vara’na: Crataeva roxburghii (Sinhala); Wæra’niya: Shrub, small sticks used instead of laths, Hedyotis fruticosa (Sinhala);
Maavilangkai	Also Maavilingakam, Maavilingku, Ilingku, Vara’ni, Vara’nam: Round-berried cuspidate-leaved lingam tree, Crataeva religiosa roxburghii (Tamil, MTL); Periya-Maavilingkam: Ovoid berried acuminate-leaved lingam tree, Crataeva religiosa-nurvala (Tamil MTL); Maavi’lam: Periya-Maavilingkam, Crataeva religiosa nurvala (Tamil, MTL); Vilvam, i.e., Aegle marmelos (Tamil, MTL, Pingkalam Lexicon 9:75); Koo-va’lam: Crataeva religiosa, Aegle marmelos (Malayalam, DED 1910); Koo-vi’lam: Aegle marmelos (Tamil, DED 1910); Aegle marmelos, Gralic pear, i.e Crataeva religiosa (Tamil, MTL); Vilangku: Obstruction, what is across (Tamil, DED 5423); Vi’laa, Ve’l’lil, Ve’l’liyam, Vi’lam, Vi’lari, Vi’lavu, Vi’laaththi: wood-apple (from its white fruit) Feronia elephantum (Tamil, 5509); Vi’lar, Vi’larppu: Whiteness (Tamil, DED 5496)
Thu’rai	Port, coastal place (Tamil, DED 3370). See column on Ooraath-thu’rai.

Vara’ni and Maavilangkai in Tamil stand for a tree that is widely used for medicinal purposes. The botanical term of the tree is Crataeva religiosa roxburghii or simply Crataeva roxburghii.

While the term Vara’ni is of Sanskrit origins and has cognates in Sinhala and in many Indo-Aryan languages, Maavilangkai found used only in Tamil seems to be a term of Dravidian origins.

There are two varieties: Maavilangkai (Crataeva religiosa roxburghii) and Periya-Maavilangkai (the big variety, Crataeva religiosa nurvala).

In Sinhala, Vara’ni/ Maavilangkai is commonly known as Lu’nu-vara’na, to differentiate it from other Vara’na trees such as Ra’na-wara’na and Wæli-Wara’na; a plant Wææ-wara’na and a shrub Wæra’niya.

In Eezham Tamil there is also a timber tree Yaa-vara’nai (the Yaa variety of Vara’nai).

In Malayalam and in some Tamil usages the term Koo-va’lam/ Koo-vi’lam means both the Vilvam tree (Aegle marmelos) as well as Maavilangkai.

While the Sanskrit term Vara’ni may have connections to the meanings shade, screen etc., the Tamil term Maa-vilangkai has probably come from the conspicuous white flowers of the tree.

Vi’laa is connected to whiteness (DED 5496)

Wood apple (Vi’laa; Feronia elephantum), Aegle marmelos (Vilvam, Koo-vi’laa, Karu-vi’laa) and Maa-vilangkai are placed under one category in Tamil usages, because of their three-pronged leaves considered sacred in the worship of Siva. Maavilangkai leaves are a substitute for Vilvam in the worship of Siva.

Maavilangkai/ Vara’ni is found throughout South Asia. All parts of the tree are widely used in the native medicinal systems for a variety of ailments.

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Vara’ni is a major village in the Thenmaraadchi division of Jaffna district.

Maavilangkan-thu’rai is a coastal village in the Ma’nmunaippattu division of Batticaloa district

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Some related place names:

Maavilangkai:

Maavilangkaith-thoaddam: The garden or grove of Maavilangkai trees; Pachchilaippa’l’li division Ki’linochchi district (Balasundaram p429)

Maavilan-kea’ni: The constructed pond in the locality of Maavilangkai trees; Naanaaddaan division, Mannaar district

Maavilankan-ve’li: The expanse of Maavilangkai trees; Puthukkudiyiruppu division, Mullaiththeevu district

Ilangkai-thu’rai: The port of Maavilangkai trees or the port having an islet; Verukal division, Trincomalee district (Ilangkai: islet. There is an islet at this place)

Vara’ni/ Wara’na:

Lu’nu- wera’niya wewa: The tank in the locality of Lu’nu-Wara’na trees; South of Tanamalvila, Moneragala district

Lu’nu-wera’niya-gala: The hill or rocky place of Lu’nu-wara’na trees; South of Tanamalvila, Moneragala district

Waruna-gama: The village of Wara’na (Lu’nu-wara’na) trees; Wellawaya division, Moneragala district

Rana-warana-wewa: The tank in the locality of Ra’na-wara’na trees; south of Tanamalvila, Moneragala district

Rana-warnawa: Probably, Ranawara’nawa or Ra’nawara’na-wewa: The place of Rana-wara’na trees or the tank in the locality of Ra’na-wara’na trees; Lunugam Vehera division, Hambantota district

Wæli-wara’na-golla: The grove of Wæli-wara’na trees; Laggala-Pallegama division, Matale district

Wææwara’na-wætiya: The enclosure or surroundings having Wææ-wara’na (Persea semecarpifolia or Persea augustifolia) plants; Galgamuwa division, Kurunegala district

First published: Saturday, 16 June 2012, 11:01