Know the Etymology: 116
Place Name of the Day: Sunday, 14 December 2008

Kompan Chaayntha Ku'lam

கொம்பன் சாய்ந்த குளம்
Kompaṉcāyntakuḷam

Kompan+chaayntha-ku'lam

The tank where a tusker fell dead

Kompan	also Kompan-yaanai: A tusker, a male elephant (Vanni Tamil usage and literary Tamil); Kompan: Tusked or horned animal, used ironically for a clever man (Tamil, Dravidian Etymological Dictionary 2115); Horned, male of cattle, a valiant, arrogant man (Malayalam, DED 2115); Kompan: Man who thinks well of him self, boastful man (Kodagu, DED 2115); Kompu: Branch, horn of an animal, musical horn, tusk (Tamil, Changkam and modern, DED 2115); Horn, tusk, musical horn, branch, pole, mast, spear (Malayalam, DED 2115); Kombuwa: Musical instrument shaped like a French horn (Sinhala)
Chaayntha:	(adjective); Chaaythal (noun): Falling, bending, emaciation, tilting, destruction (Changkam Diction; tilting and falling continues in modern Tamil, DED 2456); Chaa, Chaavu: (noun) Death (Changkam and modern Tamil, DED 2426); Chavana: Death (Literary Sinhala); Chavamaana: Dead (Literary Sinhala)
Ku'lam:	Tank, lake, reservoir (Tamil, Changkam and modern, DED 1828); Ku'lam: Tank (Malayalam DED1828); Ko'la, Ko'lahe, Ko'na: Pond (Kannada, DED 1828); Kolanu, Kolaaku, Kolaakuvu: Tank, Telugu, DED1828)

Some of the interesting place names, especially in the Vanni region, originated from the death of wildlife in those localities.

Most of them are connected to water sources, indicating either the wildlife fell and dead there or it was killed there when came for drinking water.

The importance given to the death of wildlife in naming places shows the intimacy of human-environment relationship in the forest region of Vanni.

The term Kompan is used with admiration and fear to refer to a tusker in Vanni Tamil.

The word is found used in Vealap-pa'nikkan-oppaari, a literature of Dutch times composed in Vanni. It refers to the capture of a tusker by the wife of a professional elephant catcher, and the subsequent death of both the tusker and the lady.

Kompan-chaayntha-ku'lam is a village in the Naanaaddaan division of Mannaar district. It is on the northern banks of Aruvi Aa'ru.


Some Related Place Names:

Aliyan-chaayntha-ku'lam: The tank where an elephant fell dead. Aliyaa: (singular) Elephant (Sinhala); Ali: (plural) Elephant (Sinhala). Aanai, Aanea, Aana: Elephant (Dravidian languages; L and N interchange in some Dravidian languages, especially between Tamil and Kannada. This is perhaps applicable for Sinhala also). Another possible cobnate is Aa'li: Lion, a mythological animal of elephant's head and lion's body (Changkam Diction; refers to as Yaa'li in later literature; the Sanskrit cognate is Vyaa'la).

Kari-padda-murippu: The bund (tank) where an elephant fell dead. Kari: Elephant (Tamil, Sinhala, Sanskrit, Prakrit). The place name is actually pronounced as Karuppadda-mu'rippu.

Aanai-cheththa-ku'lam: The tank where an elephant died. The place is near Thu'nukkaay, in the Thu'nukkaay division of Mullaiththeevu district

Aanai-vizhunthaan: The place where an elephant fell or fell dead. The toponym is found in several places. There is also a probability that Aanai-vizhunthaan is a plant. The places are: a locality in I'lavaalai in the Valikaamam North division of Jaffna district; a village in the Karaichchi division of Ki'linochchi district; a village in the Thu'nukkaay division of Mullaiththeevu district,; a village in the Puthukkudiyiruppu division of Mullaiththeevu district and a village in the Thu'nukkaay division of Mullaiththeevu district.

Kompanaachchi: Kompan-aachchi: The locality of tuskers. This is a place near Ku'rignchaa-munai in Kathirave'li GS area of te Koa'ra'laippattu (Vaazhaichcheanai) division of Battticaloa district.

Kompan-ku'lam: The tank frequented by a tusker. This is in the Iluppaikkadavai GS area of the Maanthai West division of Mannaar district.

Mudakkompan: The locality of an elephant of bent tusks or the locality of a lame tusker. It is a common usage to identify elephants or oxen by the shape of their tusks and horns.

Ka'l'lak-kompu-villu: The pond of a stealthy tusker. This is a place near Kathirave'li Puthoor in the Koa'ra'laippattu division of Batticaloa district. The place can also mean the tank having an outlet used stealthly. Kompu is also an outlet at the extreme of a bund.

Annam-cheththa-moaddai: The tank where the water birds died. This is a village in the Naanaaddaan division of Mannaar district.

Naay-adiththa-mu'rippu: The bund (tank) where dogs (in this context Neer-naay, beavers) were killed. The word Naay is also used for the following animals: Kadal-naay: a seal; Mara-naay: palmyra dog; Neer-naay or Meen-naay: a beaver; Chen-naay: wild dog; Koa-naay: wolf. This is a village in the Karaithu'raippattu division of Mullaiththeevu district

Naay-cheththa-ku'lam: The tank where a dog died or a tank where the beavers died. This is a locality near Chu'ndikku'lam of Vadamaraadchi East division of Jaffna district

Paampu-adiththa-oadai: The pond where snakes were killed. This is a village in the Musali division of Mannaar district. The place is also known as Paampadichchaan Oadai.

Nari-kalaichchaan: The place from where foxes were chased away. This is a village in the Madu division of Mannaar district

Ezhuvaraik-ko'ndaan-ku’lam: The tank that killed seven people. The place is near Chu’ndikku’lam in the Vadamaraadchi East division of Jaffna district.

Marai-va'larththaan-ka'ndal: The marsh of a person who reared sambur deer. This is near Kompan-chaayntha ku'lam in the Naanaaddaan division of Mannaar district

Marai-erignchaan-ku'lam: The tank where sambur deer are hunted. This is a place in the Tricomalee Town and Gravets division of Trincomalee district.

First published: Sunday, 14 December 2008, 11:43