Know the Etymology: 71
Place Name of the Day: Monday, 10 July 2017

Pū-nakari, Kuru-nakar, Pūjā-nagaraya, Devi-nuvara, Poḷon-naruva, Gan-noruva

பூநகரி, குருநகர், பூஜாநக₃ரய, தெ₃விநுவர, பொளொன்நருவ, க₃ன்நொருவ
Pū-nakari, Kuru-nakar, Pūjā-nagaraya, Devi-nuvara, Poḷon-naruva, Gan-noruva

Pū+nakari
Kuru+nakar
Pūjā+nagaraya
Devi+nuvara
Poḷo (from Pulasti)+naruva
Gaň+noruva

The prosperous town

The town of the Kuru-kulam community

The sacred town or the town to perform worship

The deity's town or city

The city of Sage Pulasti

The town or village by the river

Nakar	house, abode, mansion, temple, palace, town, city (Tamil, DED 3568, Kuṟuntokai, 234: 4; Akanāṉūṟu, 15: 11; Puṟanāṉūṟu, 6: 18; 68: 17; 127: 10); town, city (Malayalam, DED 3568); Nagaru: town, city (Tulu, DED 3568); palace (Telugu, DED 3568); Nakaramu: temple (Telugu, DED 3568); Navaru: temple (Telugu, DED 3568); Nagara: town, city, comes in names of cities (Sanskrit, CDIAL 6924, usage seen in Taittirīya Araṇyaka, Manu and Mahābhārata, Monier Williams); stronghold, city (Pali, CDIAL 6924); Nagarī: feminine form of Nagara (Sanskrit, Pali, CDIAL 6924); Nakaram: city, temple (Tamil, Cilappatikāram, 3: 168; 4: 84; 14: 9); Nakarattār: assembly of a mercantile settlement (Tamil, inscription, 740 CE, SII, i, 124); Nagaram: a village or town where merchants live with special privileges (Tamil, inscription, 700 CE, EI, xxxviii, 4); Nakari: town, city (Tamil, Peruntēvaṉār Pāratam, 3: 44); Nagari: town, city (Tamil, inscription, 1416 CE, TAS, viii. p. 9-11); Negeri: town, city, capital (Malay). See box on Nakara
Nakara	town, city (Early Brahmi inscriptions of the island, IC, Vol I, 1092); Nagara: town, city in place names (Early Brahmi inscriptions of the island, IC, Vol I, 1037, 786, 794); town (Sanskrit, CDIAL 6924; usage seen in Taittirīya Araṇyaka, Manu and Mahābhārata, Monier Williams); stronghold, city (Pali, CDIAL 6924); Nakaraka, Nagaraka: town, city in place names (Early Brahmi inscriptions of the island, IC, Vol I, 1129, 1195, 1051, 1052). See box on Nakar
Nakaram	city (Tamil, Cilappatikāram, 3: 168; 4: 84); temple (Cilappatikāram, 14: 9); residence, place (Tamil, MTL, Poykaiyāḻvār, Iyaṟpā, 1: 33); palace (Tamil, MTL cites Jaffna dictionary). The word-form is post-Caṅkam, while Nakar only comes in Caṅkam diction. See box on Nakar.
Nakari	town, city (Tamil, Peruntēvaṉār Pāratam, 3: 44); this is a post-Caṅkam form in Tamil, probably influenced by the feminine form of Nagara in Sanskrit; Nagarī: feminine form of Nagara (Sanskrit, Pali, CDIAL 6924); Nagari: town, city (Tamil, inscription, 1416 CE, TAS, viii. p. 9-11); note the place name Āḻvār Tiru Nakari in the southern part of Tamil Nadu; Negeri: town, city, capital (Malay); Nakari: Kandy City (Eezham Tamil, Vaiyāpāṭal, 68); Pū-nakari: noted as a town (Eezham Tamil, Vaiyāpāṭal, 44); there is a probability that this was a mercantile guild town. See boxes on Nakar and Pū
Nagara	also Nagaraya: town, city (Sinhala, Clough); Nagara: town, city, comes in names of cities (Sanskrit, CDIAL 6924, usage seen in Taittirīya Araṇyaka, Manu and Mahābhārata, Monier Williams); stronghold, city (Pali, CDIAL 6924); Nagarī: feminine form of Nagara (Sanskrit, Pali, CDIAL 6924). See boxes on Nakar and Nakara
Nuvara	town, city, village; "Nagaraya, Grāmaya" (Sinhala, Sorata); Nuvarai: as in Tē-nuvarai for Devi-nuvara (Eezham Tamil, 1310 CE, Caracōtimālai); Navarai: as in Tē-navarai-nāyaṉār for the deity in Devinuvara (Eezham Tamil, 1409 CE, Tamil part of the Galle trilingual inscription); Nukarai: as in Nukarai-nakar; probably Kandy (Eezham Tamil, Vaiyāpāṭal, 77). See boxes on Nakar, Nakara and Nagara
Naruva	the place-name suffix Naru in later Sinhala is traced to the prototype place-name suffix use of Nakaraka and Nagaraka in the Early Brahmi inscriptions of the island (Paranavitana, IC, Vol, I, Glossary, p. 112). See boxes on Nakar, Nakara, Nagara and Nuvara
Noruva	seems to be a variation of Naruva (Sinhala place names). See Naruva, other boxes and related place names.
Nōruva	seems to be a variation of Naruva, mostly meaning a village (Sinhala place names). See Naruva, other boxes and related place names.
Pū	(verb) to be prosperous, to flourish (Tamil, MTL, DED 4345); auspicious prefix, "Maṅkalac-col" (Tamil, Piṅkalam, 6: 261); note related terms like, Pūkkam: town, town in an agricultural tract (Tamil, MTL, Tivākaram, 5: 97; 5: 108)
Kuru	in this context means a Tamil maritime community called, Kuru-kulam: equated to Karaiyār in Tamil and Karāva in Sinhala (Mootootamby Pillai, 1915, p. 83, Clough); Karaiyār: a maritime community associated with, or operating along with the umbrella mercantile guild called, Patiṉeṇ-viṣayam/ The Five Hundred (Tamil, inscription, 1305 CE, SII, iv, 399); etymology related to Karai meaning coast in Tamil/ Dravidian; Karāva: a caste so called (Sinhala, Clough, Mukkara Haṭana, Sinhala); the Kuru-kula title figures in Mukkara Haṭana.
Pūjā	worship (Sinhala, Clough); worship (Sanskrit, Pali, CDIAL 8317)
Devi	a god, deity, divinity, (Sinhala, Clough). See column 435
Poḷo	as in the medieval city name, Poḷon-naru, Poḷon-naruva: = Pulasti-pura, a city, "Enam nagaraya" (Sinhala, Sorata); Pulasti: one of the seven ancient sages and described as a law-giver (Sanskrit, Monier Williams)
Gan	from Gaň: river (Sinhala, Sorata); Mahavẹli-gańga in this context. See column 36

* * *

All the suffixes coming in the Eezham Tamil and Sinhala place names of this column, i.e., Nakar, Nakaram, Nakari, Nagaraya, Nuvara, Naruva, Noruva and Nōruva, share a common etymology.

Early usages of Nakar could be widely seen in Caṅkam Tamil literature and Nakara/ Nakaraka/ Nagara/ Nagaraka could be seen in the Early Brahmi inscriptions of the island.

A cognate Nagara is seen in Sanskrit, dating back to Taittirīya Araṇyaka, but the etymology of the term of urban connotations is traced not to Indo-Aryan but to Dravidian. Nakar is listed as Dravidian (DED 3568). Note the range in the meanings from house to city, seen in the early usage of the term in Tamil, which neither comes in Indo-Aryan, nor in later usages in Tamil.

Even though Nakar and Nagara are terms of much antiquity, almost all the current Nakar-related Eezham Tamil place names and Nagaraya-related Sinhala place names are of very recent origin. Where as the later forms, Nakari in Eezham Tamil and Nuvara, Naruva, Noruva and Nōruva in Sinhala are older among the extant place names. The old forms reappearing with certain connotations in the current nomenclature of places is an interesting topic for sociolinguist study. See the related place names.

* * *

Nakar as house:

"நல் நகர்ப் பயில் படை நிவந்த பல் பூஞ் சேக்கை" (நற்றிணை, 132: 5-6)

"Nal nakarp payil paṭai nivanta pal pūñ cēkkai" (Naṟṟiṇai, 132: 5-6)

The high bed strewn with a variety of flowers to sleep in the good house


Nakar as mansion:

"எந்தை ஓம்பும் கடியுடை வியல் நகர்" (நற்றிணை, 98: 8)

"Entai ōmpum kaṭiyuṭai viyal nakar" (Naṟṟiṇai, 98: 8)

The protected spacious mansion maintained by my father


Nakar as palace:

"ஆஅய் கோயில்… முரைசு கெழு செல்வர் நகர் போலாதே" (புறநானூறு, 127: 10)

"Āay kōyil… muraicu keḻu celvar nakar pōlātē" (Puṟanāṉūṟu, 127: 10)

The palace of the (chieftain) Āy was unlike the palaces of the wealthy ones (monarchs) of big drums [a comparison was made here between the palace of the charitable chieftain Āy and the palaces of the uncharitable big monarchs]


Nakar as shrine of a deity:

“பராஅம் அணங்குடை நகரின் மணந்த பூவின் நன்றே கானம்” (அகநானூறு, 99: 8-9)

“Parāam aṇaṅkuṭai nakariṉ maṇanta pūviṉ naṉṟē kāṉam” (Akanāṉūṟu, 99: 8-9)

The forest (having a variety of blossoming trees) smells good, like a shrine of a deity in worship having the fragrance of flowers


Nakar as royal temple:

"முக்கட் செல்வர் நகர் வலம் செயற்கு" (புறநானூறு, 6: 18)

"Mukkaṭ celvar nakar valam ceyaṟku" (Puṟanāṉūṟu, 6: 18)

When (you, the Pandyan king) go around the temple of the three-eyed God (Siva)


Nakar as large village, town or city:

"குடுமிக் கோழி நெடு நகர் இயம்பும் பெரும் புலர் விடியல்" (குறுந்தொகை, 234: 4)

"Kuṭumik kōḻi neṭu nakar iyampum perum pular viṭiyal" (Kuṟuntokai, 234: 4)

The big dawn announced to the large village by the crested cockeral


"Yāṉai, neṭu nakar varaippil paṭu muḻā ōrkkum uṟantai" (Puṟanāṉūṟu, 68: 17)

The large city of Uṟantai, in the street of which, elephant would carefully listen to the sound of drum


* * *

Nakaram as city:

“நகர நம்பியர் திரிதரு மறுகில்” (சிலப்பதிகாரம், 3: 168)

“Nakara nampiyar tiritaru maṟukil” (Cilappatikāram, 3: 168)

In the street, where the young men of the city stroll


Nakaram as temple:

"மேழி வலன் உயர்த்த வெள்ளை நகரம்" (சிலப்பதிகாரம், 14: 9)

"Mēḻi valaṉ uyartta veḷḷai nakaram" (Cilappatikāram, 14: 9)

The temple of the white one (Palarāmā) who holds high the valour of the plough


Nakaram as residence:

"நகரம் அருள் புரிந்து நான்முகற்கு" (பொய்கை ஆழ்வார், இயற்பா, 1: 33)

"Nakaram aruḷ purintu nāṉmukaṟku" (Poykai Āḻvār, Iyaṟpā, 1: 33)

Bestowing a seat of residence to the four-headed one (Brahma)


* * *

Nakari meaning city:

"தாவறு சீர் நகரி அரசன் தனக்குத் தயவு பெறு திசையாய் அங்கு ஒருவன் உற்றான்" (வையாபாடல், 68)

"Tāvaṟu cīr nakari aracaṉ taṉakkut tayavu peṟu ticaiyāy aṅku oruvaṉ uṟṟāṉ" (Vaiyāpāṭal, 68)

One person has gone to the king of Nakari, which is of undiminishing prosperity, to get his patronage and to become a provincial chief. [Nakari here means the city of Kandy]


Reference to Pūnakari as a city:

"ஒட்டியர் முக்கியரும் பூநகரி என்னும் எழில் நகரில் இதமொடு வீற்றிருந்தார் மாதோ" (வையாபாடல், 44)

"Oṭṭiyar mukkiyarum pūnakari eṉṉum eḻil nakaril itamoṭu vīṟṟiruntār mātō" (Vaiyāpāṭal, 44)

The communities of Oṭṭiyar (either the community of tank-builders or people of the Oṭṭara country) and Mukkiyar (conch divers and pearl divers) also comfortably settled in the beautiful city of Pūnakari

* * *

Nakaraka and Nagara in the Brahmi inscriptions of the island:

"Naka nakaraka vapi hamika…" (Early Brahmi inscription, IC, Vol. I, 1129)

The proprietor of the tank of Naka-nakaraka (Nāka Nakara)


"Bama-nagara bojhika" (Early Brahmi inscription, IC, Vol I, 1037)

The proprietor of Bama-nagara


* * *

Pū, like Tiru, being an auspicious term:

“திருவே… பூ… மங்கலச் சொல்லே” (பிங்கலம், 6: 261)

“Tiruvē… pū… maṅkalac collē” (Piṅkalam, 6: 261)

Tiru, Pū etc., are auspicious terms


* * *

Karaiyār as a mercantile-guild-associated maritime community:

"பதினெண் விஷயத்தாரும் கரையாரும் நிச்சயித்தபடி"

"Patiṉeṇ viṣayattārum karaiyārum niccayittapaṭi" (Tamil inscription, 1305 CE, SII, iv, 399)

As decided by Karaiyār and the Patiṉeṇ-viṣayam (an umbrella mercantile guild)

* * *

Pū-nakari is the divisional headquarters of Poonakari division of Kilinochchi district. It is noted as Pooneryn in colonial records. Pūnakari is noted as a place in the Jaffna historiographical literature, Vaiyā-pāṭal (verse 44). The settlement pattern and the names of the satellite settlements around this place show that this was a major central place in the past.

Kuru-nakar, which is a major fishing harbour, is a part of Jaffna city in Jaffna district.

Pūjā-nagaraya is a place in Mahiyanganaya division of Badulla district.

Devi-nuvara, which is the southern-most point of the island and is called in English as Dondra Head, is in the division of its own name, Devinuwara, in the Matara district. Devi-nuvara was historically called in Eezham Tamil as Tē-nuvarai or Tē-navarai.

Poḷon-naruwa, which was a medieval capital is in the division and district of its own name, Polonnaruwa.

Gan-noruva is in Yatinuwara division of Kandy district. It is located on the northern bank of Mahaweli Ganga River, where a tributary joins it.

* * *

Some related place names:

Nakari:

Uma-nakari: Nanaddan, Mannar. Uma: 1. Umaṇ: salt traders, salt makers (Tamil, MTL, Kuṟuntokai, 388: 4; probably from Uvar+maṇ, DED 2674b+4666a); 2. Umam: town, landing place (Tamil, Kathiraiverpilai);

* * *

Nakaram:

Nakarak-kuḷam: Poonakari, Kilinochchi. Kuḷam: tank. This is part of Pūnakari and confirms that Pūnakari was a town or city in the past.

* * *

Nakar:

Some old place names altered with Nakar suffix:

Kārai-nakar: Karainagar, Jaffna. Kārai-tīvu renamed. See column 68

Kalmaṭu-nakar: Kandavalai, Kilinochchi

Nāval-nakar: Kandavalai, Kilinochchi

Āmpal-nakar: Karaichchi, Kilinochchi

Kāttāṉ-nakar: Karaichchi, Kilinochchi

Maruta-nakar: Karaichchi, Kilinochchi

Cōlai-nakar: Karaichchi, Kilinochchi

Kāyā-nakar: Manthai West, Mannar

Pāli-nakar: Manthai East, Mullaiththeevu. From Pāli-āṟu

Campu-nakar: Addalaichchenai, Amparai

Kuṟiñci-nakar: Koralaippattu, Batticaloa. Kuṟiñcā: a creeper

Ellai-nakar: Eravur Town, Batticaloa

Navakkiri-nakar: Poratheevuppattu, Batticaloa. Note Navakkiri in Puttūr, Jaffna

Vaṉṉi-nakar: Poratheevuppattu, Batticaloa

Aṉṉal-nakar: Kinniya, Trincomalee

Cūraṉ-nakar: Verukal, Trincomalee

Tillai-nakar: Trincomalee Town and Gravets, Trincomalee

Allai-nakar: Moothoor, Trincomalee. From the Allai tank

* * *

Nakar-related recent place names: (some of them are complete renaming of old ones, as in Kūtti-mūlai becoming Poṉ-nakar)

Puṉita-nakar: Vadamaradchy, Jaffna

Tiru-nakar: Jaffna, Jaffna; Karaichchi, Kilinochchi; Tunukkai, Mullaiththeevu

Āṉanta-nakar: Karaichchi, Kilinochchi

Jeyanti-nakar: Karaichchi, Kilinochchi

Poṉ-nakar: Karaichchi, Kilinochchi; Manthai East, Mullaiththeevu (Kūtti-mūlai renamed); Puthukkudiyiruppu, Mullaiththeevu

Celvā-nakar: Karaichchi, Kilinochchi; Manmunaippattu, Batticaloa

Civa-nakar: Karaichchi, Kilinochchi; Puthukkudiyiruppu, Mulaiththeevu; Oddusuddan, Mullaiththeevu

Toṇṭaimāṉ-nakar: Karaichchi, Kilinochchi

Utaya-nakar: Karaichchi, Kilinochchi

Vivēkānanta-nakar: Karachchi, Kilinochchi

Jīvā-nakar: Nnaddan, Mannar; Oddusuddan, Mullaiththeevu

Pārati-nakar: Thunukkai, Mullaiththeevu

Pukaḻēnti-nakar: Thunukkai, Mullaiththeevu

Tiruvaḷḷuvar-nakar: Thunukkai, Mullaiththeevu

Vaḷa-nakar: Thunukkai, Mullaiththeevu

Kiruṣṇā-nakar: Oddusuddan, Mullaiththeevu

Vacanta-nakar: Oddusuddan, Mullaiththeevu

Kantacāmi-nakar: Venkalachcheddikulam, Vavuniya

Kaṇapatippiḷḷai-nakar: Eravurpattu, Batticaloa

Putu-nakar: Manmunai North, Batticaloa

Kānti-nakar: Manmunai West, Batticaloa; Kuchchaveli, Trincomalee

Jeya-nakar: Kuchchaveli, Trincomalee; Moothoor, Trincomalee

Auvai-nakar: Morawewa, Trincomalee

Cānti-nakar: kinniya, Trincomalee

Amman-nakar: Moothoor, Trincomalee. Cantaṉa-veṭṭai renamed

Neital-nakar: Moothoor, Trincomalee

Pāla-nakar: Moothoor, Trincomalee

Taṅka-nakar: Seruvila, Trincomalee

Pū-nakar: Verukal, Trincomalee

Aruṇakiri-nakar: Trincomalee Town and Gravets, Trincomalee

Liṅka-nakar: Trincomalee Town and Gravets, Trincomalee

Muttu-nakar: Trincomalee Town and Gravets, Trincomalee

Varōtaya-nakar: Trincomalee Town and Gravets, Tricomalee. From Rajavarōtayam, parliamentarian

* * *

Some Nakar-related Muslim place names of recent origin:
(the names are given in their Tamil script form. See another column for the old Muslim place names)

Tarkā-nakar: Mannar Town, Mannar; Moothoor, Trincomalee

Matīnā-nakar: Madu, Mannar; Kinniya, Trincomalee

Jām-nakar: Musali, Mannar. Karaṭik-kuḻi renamed

Mīrā-nakar: Nintavur, Amparai; Tampalakamam, Trincomalee

Ālim-nakar: Addalaichchenai, Amparai; Akkaraippattu, Amparai; Moothoor, Trincomalee

Husainiyā-nakar: Addalaichchenai, Amparai

Mīlāt-nakar: Addalaichchenai, Amparai. Mullaittīvu renamed

Taikā-nakar: Addalaichchenai, Amparai

Parakāt-nakar: Akkaraippattu, Amparai

Hijrā-nakar: Poththuvil, Amparai, Eravurpattu, Batticaloa; Trincomalee Town and Gravets, Trincomalee

Rasāk Maulānā Nakar: Poththuvil, Amparai

Akpar-nakar: Eravurpattu, Batticaloa

Rahmat-nakar: Eravur Town, Batticaloa

Arapāt-nakar: Kuchchaveli, Trincomalee; Moothoor, Trincomalee

Kāsīm-nakar: Kuchchaveli, Trincomalee

Hilāriyā-nakar: Kuchchaveli, Trincomalee

Ikpāl-nakar: Kuchchaveli, Trincomalee; Moothoor, Trincomalee

Cirāj-nakar: Tampalakamam, Trincomalee

Ehuttar-nakar: Kinniya, Trincomalee

Paisāl-nakar: Kinniya, Trincomalee

Majīt-nakar: Kinniya, Trincomalee

Rahumāṉiyā-nakar: Kinniya, Trincomalee

Salāmiyā-nakar: Kuchchaveli, Trincomalee

Takpā-nakar: Kuchchaveli, Trincomalee

Takḷā-nakar: Kinniya, Trincomalee

Āsāt-nakar: Moothoor, Trincomalee

Jiṉṉā-nakar: Moothoor, Trincomalee; Trincomalee Town and Gravets, Trincomalee

Takvā-nakar: Moothoor, Trincomalee

* * *

Some Nakar-related Christian place names of recent origin:

Iraṇai-mātā-nakar: Poonakari, Kilinochchi

Emil-nakar: Mannar Town, Mannar

Mik-nakar: Eravurpattu, Batticaloa

Tiyōku-nakar: Karaithuraippattu, Mullaiththeevu

* * *

Nuvara: (Some of them are old and some of them are new)

Pālindu-nuvara: Palindunuwara, Kalutara

Mẹda-maha-nuvara: Medadumbara, Kandy. Mẹda: middle: see Mahanuvara

Maha-nuvara: Kandy Four Gravets, Kandy. See column 132

Yaṭi-nuvara: Yatinuwara, Kandy. Yaṭi: see column 178

Uḍu-nuvara: Udunuwara, Kandy

Kandē-nuvara: Rattota, Matale. Kanda: see column 6

Nuvara-eliya: Nuwara Eliya, Nuvara Eliya. Eliya: open place, outside

Mandaram-nuvara: Hanguranketha, Nuwara Eliya. Mandāram: cloudy (Sinhala, Clough); Mantāram: cloudiness (Tamil, DED 4697)

Malsarā-nuvara: Hanguranketha, Nuwara Eliya

Sēru-nuvara: Seruvila, Trincomalee. From Sēru-vila

Pańḍuvas-nuvara: Panduwasnuwara, Kurunegala. The place was a medieval capital

Nuvara-yāya: Rideegama, Kurunegala

Tēva-nuvara: Karuwalagas-vẹva, Puttalam

Nuvara-gam-paḷāta: Nuwaragam Palatha, Anuradhapura

Nuvara-eḷi Janapataya: Galenbindunuwewa, Anuradhapura. Janapataya: colony

Nuvara-vẹva: Mihinthale, Anuradhapura

Nuvara-gala: Dimbulagala, Polonnaruwa

Aḷut-nuvara: Imbulpe, Ratnapura; Mawanella, Kegalle

* * *

Noruva:

Dan-noruva: Ruwanwella, Kegalle

Ven-noruva: Alawwa, Kurunegala

Gōn-noruva: Hambantota, Hambantota

* * *

Nōruva: (mostly meaning a village)

Palan-nōruva: Horana, Kalutara

Nilan-nōruva: Pallepola, Matale

Pẹdin-nōruva: Akmeemana, Galle

Mẹdin-nōruva: Ehetuwewa, Kurunegala

Kat-nōruva: Ehetuwewa, Kurunegala

Ranōruva: Ambanpola, Kurunegala

Labu-nōruva: Thirappane, Anuradhapura

Gin-nōruva: Mahiyanganaya, Badulla

* * *

Nagaraya: (modified or new place names)

Hasalaka-nagaraya: Minipe, Kandy

Bōpiṭiya-nagaraya: Deltota, Kandy

Telikaḍa-nagaraya: Baddegama, Galle

Śuddha-nagaraya: Thissamahrama, Hambantota; Nuwaragam Palatha, Anuradhapura

* * *

Nāgara:

Nāgara-pura: Medirigiriya, Polonnaruwa

* * *

Nagarikaya: (suffix newly added)

Hikkaḍuva-nagarikaya: Hikkaduwa, Galle

* * *

Naruva:

Pohon-naruva: Mirigama, Gampaha

Ẹn-naruva: Kuliapitiya West, Kurunegala

* * *

Nāruva:

Un-nāruva: Minuwangoda, Gampaha. Un: = Ut: high (Sorata)

* * *


Revised: Monday, 10 July 2017, 18:30

First published: Friday, 21 September 2007, 01:00