Know the Etymology: 57
Place Name of the Day: Saturday, 25 February 2017

Iṭi-viḻunta-mōṭṭai, Pul-mōṭṭai, Kōrai-mōṭṭai, Atti-mōṭṭaik-kuḷam

இடிவிழுந்தமோட்டை, புல்மோட்டை, கோரைமோட்டை, அத்திமோட்டைக்குளம்
Iṭi-viḻunta-mōṭṭai, Pul-mōṭṭai, Kōrai-mōṭṭai, Atti-mōṭṭaik-kuḷam

Iṭi+viḻunta+mōṭṭai
Pul+mōṭṭai
Kōrai+mōṭṭai
Atti+mōṭṭai+kuḷam

The natural pond caused by a thunderbolt strike

The natural pond found with grass

The natural pond found with a kind of aquatic grass

The natural pond-turned-tank in the locality of Atti trees

Mōṭṭai	a natural pond, a small tank that was originally a natural pond (Eezham Tamil); Mōḻai: pool, subterranean watercourse, cleft, crevice (Tamil, DED 4994, note the Ḻ/ Ṭ change); deep natural water-body (Tamil, Periyāḻvār, 3: 7: 4); subterranean water (Tamil, Kampar, Cuntarakāṇṭam, 6: 60); Mūḻai: a hollow place (Tamil, DED 4994); Mūḻi: = Mūḻai, pond (Tamil, Tivākaram, 7: 200; Piṅkalam, 4: 157); Muḻai: cave, cavern (Tamil, DED 4994, Caṅkam diction); a cubic measure (Tamil, inscription, 873 CE, SII, xiv, App. 2); Muḻai-cuṉai: pool in a cave or cavern (Tamil, inscription, 996 CE, SII, vii, 857); Muḻākai, Muḻa-ukai: cave (Tamil, Brahmi inscriptions, ETE, 7, 17); Moḷa: subterranean watercourse, sewage, "Sorovva, Kuṇu diya bẹsa kāṇuva" (Sinhala, Sorata); Moḷaga: bog, muddy pit, drain; "Kuṇumaḍa ādiya piruṇu vaḷa hō kāṇuva" (Sinhala, Sorata); Mohoḷaň, Mohoḷag: drain, dirt pit, dung pit etc., "Diya bẹsa yana kāṇuva, Gavaravaḷa, Moḷa" (Sinhala, Sorata). See column 491 on Molē and Molệva
Iṭi	(verb) to sound loud, roar, thunder; (noun) thunder, thunderbolt (Tamil, DED 438)
Viḻunta	fallen; from Viḻu: (verb) to fall, fall down, descend (Tamil, DED 5430)
Pul	common term for grass (Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Kota, Toda, with cognates in other Dravidian languages, DED 4300); generic term for all plants of the grass family, such as palmyra palm, coconut palm, arecanut palm, bamboo etc. (Tamil, Tholkaappiyam, DED 4300). See columns 240, 306 and 158
Kōrai	a hard and dark green variety of grass (Eezham Tamil usage, cognates may be traced to DED 1397a); sedges and bulrushes (Tamil, MTL); an aquatic and fibrous grass usually found along ponds, rivers, paddy fields, marshes etc. (Tamil, Caṇkam diction, Perumpāṇāṟṟuppaṭai, 217); Kōraip-pāy, Kōram-pāy: grass mat, bulrush mat (Tamil, MTL); Koṟukkai: a kind of grass, reed, species of Cyperus (Tamil, MTL, Piṅkalam, 10: 193)
Atti	country fig, Ficus glomerata (Tamil, DED 144, Tirumūlar, 1667, cognates in 8 Dravidian languages); Ficus racemosa (Malayalam, DED 144); Atavam: = Atti (Tamil, DED 144, Caṅkam diction, Kuṟuntokai, 24: 3); Ata, Atam, Atavu: = Atti (Tamil, DED 144, Tivākaram, 4: 17; Appar, 4: 59: 7; Kallāṭam 99: 18); Attik-kāy: the fruit of Atti (Tamil, DED 144 + DED 1459); Attikkā, Aṭṭikkā: Ficus glomerata (Sinhala, Clough)

The Eezham Tamil place-name component Mōṭṭai, meaning a natural pond, has no direct parallels either in Sinhala or in South Indian usages.

The word-form Mōṭṭai seems to be exclusive to Eezham Tamil diction. But its Dravidian etymological origins could be traced through an old Tamil usage, Mōḻai, meaning a pool, subterranean watercourse, cleft or crevice (DED 4994).

Mōḻai in turn is related to Muḻai (DED 4994) meaning a cave or cavern in Caṅkam diction and Muḻākai meaning the same in Tamil Brahmi inscriptions (ETE, 7, 17). Other related terms in old Tamil are Mūḻai meaning a hollow place (DED 4994) and Mūḻi meaning a pond (Piṅkalam).

Moḷa, Moḷaga, Mohoḷaň and Mohoḷag in Sinhala, meaning a subterranean watercourse, are traced to Mōḻai (Sorata). There are also Sinhala place name components like Molē and Molệva, found in Kurunegala district that may correspond to the above (see column 491).

However, Mōṭṭai, by its Ḻ/ Ṭ change, conspicuously differs from all the said cognates. The Ḻ/ Ṭ change is usually viewed as Prakritisation of Dravidian. In this instance, the change not seen in Sinhala but coming in Eezham Tamil perhaps evidences independent interaction between Eezham Tamil and Prakrit (see column 3).

The Mōṭṭai pond-names are mostly found in the Vaṉṉi districts and in the Vilpattu forest. Some of them are seen in the adjacent districts: Jaffna, Trincomalee and Puttalam too.

All the Mōṭṭai-examples are invariably natural ponds or natural-pond-turned small tanks. Often the Kuḷam suffix is added to them, as in the example, Atti-mōṭṭaik-kuḷam. This may be because they have become small tanks by the construction of dams, or because Mōṭṭai is no more meaningful to present day Eezham Tamils.

The place name Iṭi-viḻunta-mōṭṭai is an illustrative example for associating the word Mōṭṭai with the hollowness of a pond coming through natural causes or for associating the word with a pond where subterranean water is exposed through natural causes.

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Mōḻai meaning a natural water body:

"ஆழியான் என்னும் ஆழ மோழையில் பாய்ச்சி அகப்படுத்தி" (பெரியாழ்வார் பாசுரம் 3:7:4)

"Āḻiyāṉ eṉṉum āḻa mōḻaiyil pāycci akappaṭutti" (Periyāḻvār Pācuram 3:7:4)

Dipping (devotion) in the deep water-body called Āḻiyāṉ (the God sleeping in the sea), i.e., Vishnu, and (through devotion) captivating him


Mōḻai meaning subterranean water:

"மண் தலம் கிழிந்த வாயில் மறிகடல் மோழை மண்ட" (கம்பர், சுந்தரகாண்டம் 6:60)

"Maṇ talam kiḻinta vāyil maṟikaṭal mōḻai maṇṭa" (Kampar, Cuntarakāṇṭam, 6: 60)

When the subterranean water, like a blocked sea released, surged through the mouth where the earth cracked


Mūḻi meaning a pond:

"… மூழி குழி குளம் நீர் நிலைப் பெயரே" (பிங்கலம், 4: 157)

"…Mūḻi, kuḻi kuḷam nīr nilaip peyarē" (Piṅkalam, 4: 157)

Mūḻi, Kuḻi and Kuḷam are pond names


Muḻai meaning cave:

"புலி கல் முழை உரற" (அகநானூறு, 168: 12)

"Puli kal muḻai uraṟa" (Akanāṉūṟu, 168: 12)

As the tiger roared in the rock cave


Muḻākai meaning cave:

"முழாகை கொடுபிதோன்" (Tamil Brahmi inscription, No. 7, ETE)

"Muḻākai koṭupitōṉ" (Tamil Brahmi inscription, No. 7, ETE)

…(was) the one who caused the cave to be given

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Iṭi meaning thunder or thunderbolt in Tamil/ Dravidian corresponds to that word as verb meaning to sound loud (DED 438). A Thunderbolt strike collapsing the surface, exposing subterranean water and causing a pond could be seen in another example too: Iṭi-kuṇṭu in Navāli, Jaffna.

For discussion on Pul meaning grass in Tamil/ Dravidian, see columns 240 and 306.

Kōrai in Tamil means a kind of common grass as well as a kind of mat-making grass that usually grows along water bodies, marshes and paddy fields. Early usages are noticed in Caṅkam literature.

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Kōrai meaning a kind of fibrous grass:

"பஞ்சாய்க் கோரை பல்லின் சவட்டி" (பெரும்பாணாற்றுப்படை, 217)

"Pañcāyk kōrai pallin cavaṭṭi" (Perumpāṇāṟṟuppaṭai, 217)

Tempering the Pañcāy kind of Kōrai grass by the teeth (to prepare cord to make a garland; comes in the context of narrating the play of children with flowers)

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Atti, Atavam, Atam and Atavu, meaning the country fig tree (Ficus glomerata) in Tamil, are listed as Dravidian (DED 144). Attik-kāy in Tamil means the fruit of the fig tree. Attikkā and Aṭṭikkā in Sinhala mean the fig tree.

* * *

Atavam (Atti) as a tree growing near water bodies:

ஆற்று அயல் எழுந்த வெண் கோட்டு அதவம் (குறுந்தொகை, 24: 3)

"Āṟṟu ayal eḻunta veṇ kōṭṭu atavam" (Kuṟuntokai, 24: 3)

The Atavam (Atti) tree of white branches that grew on the riverside

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Iṭi-viḻunta-mōṭṭai is the name of a small pond as well as that place located near Kutirai-malai in the Vilpattu forest in Puttalam district. It is marked as Idiulunda Motai in the One Inch Sheet originally prepared in 1902 and revised in 1973.

Pul-mōṭtai is a place in Kuchchaveli division of Trincomalee district.

Kōrai-mōṭṭai is found as a pond name and place name in several places: Kandavalai division of Kilinochchi district; Mannar Town division of Mannar district; Manthai West division of Mannar district; Nanaddan division of Mannar district and in Cālai, Karaithuraippattu division of Mullaiththeevu district (the last one is noted in One Inch Sheet)

Atti-mōṭṭaik-kuḷam is in Taṭṭāmalai, Oddusuddan division of Mullaiththeevu district (One Inch Sheet)

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Some related place names:

Mōṭṭai: (names from official list of villages)


Īcca-mōṭṭai: Jaffna, Jaffna. Īccai, Īñcu: a small species of date palm

Muracu-mōṭṭai: Kaṇṭāvaḷai, Kilinocci. Muracu: = Puracu, a tree

Pattaṉ-mōṭṭai: Kandavalai, Kilinochchi. Pattaṉ: probably, Pattaṉai: a grass, grassland

Paṉṟi-mōṭṭai: Kandavalai, Kilinochchi. Marked as Paṇṭi-mōṭṭai in One Inch sheet. Paṉṟi, Paṇṭi: boar

Atti-mōṭṭai: Manthai West, Mannar; Ōmantai, Vavuniya (the latter in One Inch Sheet)

Periya-atti-mōṭṭai: Nanattan, Mannar

Aṭaikkala-mōṭṭai: Mannar Town, Mannar. Aṭaikkalam: from Aṭaikkala-mātā, Our Lady of Refuge

Kaḷi-mōṭṭai: Mannar Town, Mannar. Kali: clay

Kaḷi-mōṭṭaip-puḷiyaṅkuḷam: Nanaddan, Mannar

Vaṇṇā-mōṭṭai: Mannar Town, Mannar; Nanaddan, Mannar. Vaṇṇār: launderers

Kōyil-mōṭṭai: Madu, Mannar. Kōyil: temple

Aṉṉam-cetta-mōṭṭai: Nanaddan, Mannar. Aṉṉam: an aquatic bird, migrant bird

Ilantai-mōṭṭai: Nanaddan, Mannar. Ilantai: a shrub or small tree

Kumuḻa-mōṭṭai: Nanaddan, Mannar. Kumuḻ, Kumiḻ: a shrub

Mōṭṭaik-kaṭai: Nanaddan, Mannar. Kaṭai: shop

Muḷḷi-mōṭṭai: Nanaddan, Mannar. Muḷḷi, Nīr-muḷḷi: a thorny aquatic plant

Neṭu-mōṭṭai: Nanaddan, Mannar. Neṭu: big, long

Perukkaṭi-mōṭṭai: Nanaddan, Mannar. Perukku: a tree

Karuṇkāli-mōṭṭai: Manthai West, Mannar; Musali, Mannar. Karuṅkāli: a tree

Kappittāṉ-mōṭṭai: Manthai West, Mannar. Kapitāṉ: from Captain

Pāppā-mōṭṭai: Manthai West, Mannar. Pāppā: probably Pampai, Pampā: an aquatic grass

Pāci-mōṭṭai: Manthai West, Mannar; Nanaddan, Mannar. Pāci: moss

Atikāra-moṭṭai: Musali, Mannar. Noted as Atikāri-mōṭṭai in One Inch Sheet. Atikāri: official

Ilantai-mōṭṭai-veḷi: Musali, Mannar

Kōṇā-mōṭṭai: Musali, Mannar

Kokku-mōṭṭai: Puthukkudiyiruppu, Mullaiththeevu. Kokku: crane

Māṉā-mōṭṭai: Puthukkudiyiruppu, Mullaiththeevu. Māṉā: a grass, Māṉam-pul

Sivakāmi-mōṭṭai: Puthukkudiyiruppu, Mullaiththeevu

Tuvarai-mōṭṭai: Oddusuddan, Mullaiththeevu (marked as Tuvara-mōṭṭaik-kuḷam in One Inch Sheet). Tuvarai: a shrub or small tree

Maruk-kārai-mōṭṭai: Oddusuddan, Mullaiththeevu. Maruk-kārai: a species of Kārai shrub

Viḷātti-mōṭṭai: Karaitṟaippaṟṟu, Mullaiththeevu. Viḷā: wood apple

Kūḻā-mōṭṭai: Karaithuraippattu, Mullaiththeevu. Kūḻā: a tree

Nelli-mōṭṭai: Karathuraippattu, Mullaiththeevu. Nelli: a tree

Cīṉiyā-mōṭṭai: Karaithuraippattu, Mullaiththeevu. Cīṉi: a shrub of the acacia family; Ā: genitive case suffix noticed in Tamil Brahmi inscriptions and in old Kannada

Kāyā-mōṭṭai: Karaithuraippattu, Mullaiththeevu. Kāya: a tree

Kāñcura-mōṭṭai: Kāñcira-mōṭṭai: Karaithuraippattu, Mullaiththeevu. Kāñcirai: a tree

Nocci-mōṭṭai: Vavuniya, Vavuniya; Nallūr, Kilinochchi (the second one noted in One Inch Sheet). Nocci: Vitex species of shrubs and trees

Pālai-mōṭṭai: Vavuniya, Vavuniya. Pālai: a tree

Kaṭaiya-mōṭṭai: Munthal, Puttalam. Kaṭaiyar: a community

Cempi-mōṭṭai: Kinniya, Trincomalee. Cempi: an aquatic plant, Cēmpu

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Mōṭṭai: (names from One Inch Sheets)


Kāyā-mōṭṭaik-kuḷam: Vaddakkachchi, Kilinochchi; Puḷiyam-pokkaṇai, Kilinochchi. Kāyā: a tree

Kāñcura-mōṭṭaik-kuḷam: Kaccilaimaṭu, Oddusuddan, Mullaiththeevu; Tēntūkki, Mullaiththeevu. Kāñcirai: a tree

Mulai-aṭampan-mōṭṭai-villu: Periya-parantaṉ, Kilinochchi. Aṭampaṉ: a creeper

Paṇṭi-mōṭṭai: Ūriyāṉ, Kilinochchi. Paṇṭi: = Paṉṟi: boar

Kokku-mōṭṭaik-kuḷam: Uṭaiyārkaṭṭu, Mullaiththeevu. Kokku: crane

Kalla-mōṭṭaik-kuḷam: Kaḷḷi-mōṭṭaik-kuḷam?: Nāccikkuṭā, Mannar

Kaṅkāṇi-mōṭṭai: Nallūr, Kilinochchi. Kaṅkāṇi: supervisor

Aṭampaṉ-mōṭṭai: Nallūr, Kilinochchi

Pūvarasaṉ-mōṭṭai: Kirāñci, Kilinochchi. Pūvaracu: a tree

Mōṭṭaik-kuḷam: Pallavarāyaṉ-kaṭṭu,

Vēppaṉ-mōṭṭai: Nākappaṭuvān. Vēmpu: a tree

Vaṭali-kāyā-mōṭṭai: Teṉṉiyaṅkuḷam, Thunukkai, Mullaiththeevu

Nalla-taṇṇīr-kāyā-mōṭṭai: Teṉṉiyaṅkuḷam, Thunukkay, Mullaiththeevu

Itti-mōṭṭai: Vaṉṉērikkuḷam, Karaichchi, Kilinonochchi. Itti: a tree

Maṇal-mōṭṭai: Vaṭṭakkaṇṭal, Mannar. Maṇal: sand

Mōṭṭai: Paṉaṅkāmam, Manthai East, Mullaiththeevu

Ilantai-mōṭṭai: Iluppaikkaṭavai, Mannar; Uyilaṅkuḷam, Mannar. Ilantai: a shrub or small tree

Kārai-mōṭṭai: Viṭattaltīvu, Mannar. Kārai: a shrub

Kārai-mōṭṭaik-kuḷam: Katiraveḷi, Trincomalee

Ilantai-mōṭṭaik-kuḷam: Cilāvattuṟai, Mannar

Puḷiyaṭi-mōṭṭaip-pulavu: Koṇṭacci, Mannar. Puḷi: tamarind tree

Kuṟiñci-mōṭṭai: Koṇṭacci, Mannar. Kuṟiñcā: a creeper

Vīra-mōṭṭaik-kuḷam: Ceṭṭikuḷam, Vavuniya. Vīrai: a tree

Tavara-mōṭṭaik-kuḷam: Ceṭṭikuḷam, Vavuniya. Tavara: probably Tuvarai

Pālai-mōṭṭaik-kuḷam: Cekkaṭippulavu, Vavuniya. Pālai: a tree

Kōvil-mōṭṭaik-kuḷam: Ciṉṉattampaṉai, Vavuniya

Māvilaṅkai-mōṭṭai: Kutiraimalai, Vilpattu, Puttalam

Erukkala-mōṭṭai: Kutiraimalai, Vipattu, Puttalam. Erukkalai: a shrub

Avatari-mōṭṭai: Kutiraimalai, Vilpattu, Puttalam (Kavutāri-mōṭṭai?)

Ilantai-mōṭṭai: Vilpattu, Puttalam. Ilantai: a shrub or small tree

* * *

Mōṭṭai: (other sorces)


Nīliya-mōṭṭai: Ceṭṭikuḷam, Vavuniya (HAM temple records). Nīli: 1. a goddess; 2. indigo plant

Yāppā-mōṭṭai: Puthukkudiyiruppu, Mullaiththeevu (British records 1819-1839, Aruna Selladurai, p. 99). Yā: paddy field; Pā: expanse

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Iṭi:


Iṭi-kuṇṭu: Navāli, Jaffna. The place has a deep perennial waterhole. According to local memory this has been caused by a thunderbolt strike.

* * *

Kōrai:


Kōrai-vayal: Puthukkudiyiruppu, Mullaiththeevu

Kōrai-veḷi: Koralaippattu, Batticaloa

* * *

Atti:


Attik-kuḻi: Musali. Mannar; Nanaddan, Mannar

Attiyaṭi: Jaffna, Jaffna

* * *


Revised: Saturday, 25 February 2017, 23:52

First published: Wednesday, 22 August 2007, 01:00