Know the Etymology: 135
Place Name of the Day: Monday, 01 January 2018

Cēṇiya-teru, Kaikkōḷat-teru/ Ceṅkuntar-vīti, Civiyā-teru, Taṭṭā-teru, Cemmā-teru, Paṟaṅkit-teru, Paṟaiyaṉ-teṉpu

சேணியதெரு, கைக்கோளத்தெரு/ செங்குந்தர்வீதி, சிவியாதெரு, தட்டாதெரு, செம்மாதெரு, பறங்கித்தெரு, பறையன்தென்பு
Cēṇiya-teru, Kaikkōḷat-teru/ Ceṅkuntar-vīti, Civiyā-teru, Taṭṭā-teru, Cemmā-teru, Paṟaṅkit-teru, Paṟaiyaṉ-teṉpu

Cēṇiyar+teru
Kaikkōḷar+teru/ Ceṅkuntar+vīti
Civiyār+teru
Taṭṭār+teru
Cemmār+teru
Paṟaṅki+teru
Paṟaiyaṉ+tenpu

The street of Cēṇiyar

The street of Kaikkōḷar/ the street of Ceṅkuntar

The street of Civiyār

The street of Taṭṭār

The street of Cemmār

The street of the people of colonial European origins, connections or descent

The street or path of Paṟaiyar

Teru	street, highway, public road (Tamil, DED 3422, Kuṟuntokai, 139: 5-6); path, way (Tamil, Naṟṟiṇai, 132-133; Puṟanāṉūṟu, 345: 2-3); street, bazaar-street, a weaver village (Malayalam, DED 3422); way (Kota, Bellary dialect, DED 3422); Teruvu, Teruvam: = Teru (Tamil, DED 3422, Akanāṉūṟu, 264: 8); Teruvu: way, road, path (Telugu, DED 3422); Tāri: way, road, path, right mode (Tamil, DED 3170); Tārai: way, path (Tamil, DED 3170); Dāri: way, road, path (Kannada, DED 3170). See column 101
Teṉpu	a rarely seen place-name suffix, as in Paṟaiyaṉ-teṉpu (Eezham Tamil, Jaffna); probably related to Teṉṉu: way, road, path (Telugu, DED 3422); a section of the Paṟaiyar community in Jaffna was Telugu-speaking
Cēṇiyar	a guild or caste of weavers of coloured-cloth (Tamil, Winslow); a community of weavers listed among the poll-tax payers in Jaffna (Dutch census, 1790 CE, Mootootamby Pillai, 1915, p. 157); Cēṇiyaṉ, Cēṇicci: respectively a man and woman of the Cēṇiyar community (Tamil, Winslow); Cēṇikaṉ: = Cēṇiyaṉ (Tamil, MTL); Cēṇiyar-taṟi: tax levied on the loom of Cēṇiyar (Tamil inscription, 1329 CE, SII, iv, 287; Taṟi: loom); Cēṇiyaṅkāṭiyār: a group of merchants (Tamil inscription, 1329 CE, SII, iv, 287; Cēṇi+aṅkāṭiyār; Aṅkāṭi: bazaar, bazaar street); Etymology 1: Cēṇi: party of workman, set of players, company of travellers (Tamil, MTL cites Jaffna diction); Śrēṇī: line, row, troop (Sanskrit, Rig Vedic, CDIAL 12718); Śreṇi: line, row, troop, flock, multitude, a company of artisans following the same business, a guild or association of traders dealing in the same articles (Sanskrit, Monier Williams); Śrēṇī-dharma: the customs of trades or guilds (Sanskrit, Monier Williams); Sēṇi: guild, division of army (Pali, CDIAL 12718); Cirēṇi: hamlet, street (Tamil, Piṅkalam, 4: 194; 4: 198); Etymology 2: Cēṇṭiravar: = Cēṇiyar (Tamil, Winslow, MTL cites Jaffna Dictionary); Ceṇṭiravar meaning weavers is listed as a word of Dravidian etymology (Tamil, DED 2809); Jēṇḍra: a caste of weavers (Telugu, DED 2809); Jēḍa: a sect of weavers, spider (Kannada, DED 2809); Jāḍē: weaver, spider (Tulu, DED 2809); Ceṇṭu: ball of thread (Tamil, DED 2766); a cotton ball, tassel (Malayalam, DED 2766)
Kaikkōḷar	mostly weavers in recent times (Tamil, MTL); soldiers, commanders, weavers (Tamil, Tivākaram, 2: 37); = "Ceṅkuntar", i.e., spearmen; "Cēṉaitalaivar", i.e., commanders; "Tantuvaȳar", i.e., thread makers; "Kārukar", i.e., thread makers, weavers, dealers in textiles (Tamil, Tivākaram, 2: 37); Teriñca-kaikkōḷar, Teriñca-kaiykkōḷar: select soldiers coming from the Kaikkōḷar community, a regiment in the Chola military (Tamil, inscriptions, 913 CE, SII, xix, 166; 953 CE, SII, xiii, 45; Teri: to select); Kaikkōḷaṉ: a soldier of the Kaikkōḷar regiment (Tamil, inscription, 953 CE, SII, xiii, 45); Kaikkōṇ-mutalikaḷ: chiefs of Kaikkōḷar (Tamil, inscription, 1300 CE, IPS, 551); the term Kaikkōḷar seems to have come from the code of conduct of the guild, followed by its members wherever they are; Kai-kōḷ: adhered pattern of conduct (Tamil, Tolkāppiyam, 26: 1); Kaikkoḷ: (verb) to observe, practise, maintain, accept, adopt (Tamil, MTL); Kai: conduct, proper conduct, way of doing, will (Tamil, Akanāṉūṟu, 124: 10; Tirukkuṟaḷ, 84: 2; 84: 6; from Kai basically meaning hand, DED 2023); wing of an army (Tamil, Piṅkalam, 6: 403; from Kai basically meaning hand, DED 2023); Kōḷ: holding, opinion, decision (Tamil, DED 2151); Koḷkai: opinion, doctrine (Tamil, DED 2151)
Ceṅkuntar	literally meaning, 1. people who wield the upright spear or spear red with blood (meaning soldiers); 2. people who wield the good loom-pole (meaning weavers); Cem+kuntam; Cem: straight (Tamil, DED 2747); red (Tamil, DED 1931); Cemmai: goodness, soundness, greatness, uprightness, fineness (Tamil, DED 2747); Kuntam 1: spear, lance (Tamil, Paripāṭal, 11: 50; Mullaippāṭṭu, 41); Kuttu: (verb) to puncture, pierce, bore, stab, gore (Tamil, DED 1719); Kunta: spear (Sanskrit, CDIAL 3289); Kuntam 2: = Īṭṭi, meaning both a spear and a loom-pole (Tamil, Īṭṭi Eḻupatu, a literature on Cenkuntar/ Kaikkōḷar); Kuṇṭe: the web beam in a loom (Kannada, Tulu, DED 1689)
Civiyār	a caste of palanquin bearers (Tamil, MTL); shortened form of Civikaiyār: a caste of palanquin bearers (Tamil, MTL); Civikai: palanquin, covered litter (Tamil, MTL, Tirukkuṟaḷ, 4: 7); Śivikā, Śibikā: palanquin, litter, bier (Sanskrit, Mahābhārata, CDIAL 12474);
Taṭṭār	gold or silver smiths (Tamil, DED 3039; Tivākaram, 2: 44; inscription, 793 CE, SII, iii, 42); goldsmiths (Malayalam, DED 3039); Taṭṭē: goldsmith (Kodagu, DED 3039); Taṭravāḍu: gold or silver smith (Telugu, DED 3039); Taṭṭu: (verb) to strike, beat, hammer, tap, pat (Tamil, DED 3039)
Cemmār	shoemakers, people who work in leather (Tamil, MTL, Cūṭāmaṇi, 2: 33); Carmakāra: leatherworker (Sanskrit, CDIAL, 4698); Cammakāra: leatherworker (Pali, CDIAL 4698); Cammāra: leatherworker (Prakrit, CDIAL 4698)
Paṟaṅki	the Portuguese; colonial Europeans, usually the Portuguese, the Dutch or the English; people of colonial European origins, connections or descent that may include even some African and East Asian strains of European colonial legacy, who collectively identify them as belonging to the ethnicity of Burgers in the island (Eezham Tamil usage); Paṟaṅki, Paraṅkikkāraṉ: European, Anglo-Indian (Tamil, MTL); Paraňgi: the Portuguese; "Pṛtugīsi deśayen pẹmiṇi janayā" (Sinhala, Sorata): related to Frank: person of Western nationality (Concise Oxford)
Paṟaiyar	drummers, heralds (Tamil, DED 4032). See column 26
Vīti	street (Tamil, see column 234)

Teru, commonly meaning a street in Tamil, also stands for the locality of that street in toponymic usage. Hence, some of the street names come as place names too.

See boxes above for the etymology of the community names associated with the street names discussed in this column

* * *

Teru as street:

"இடை நெடுந் தெருவில் கதுமெனக் கண்டு" (அகநானுறு, 356:5)

"Iṭai neṭun teruvil katumeṉak kaṇṭu" (Akanāṉuṟu, 356:5)

Met suddenly in the middle of the long street


Teruvu as street:

"மாரி தளி சிறந்து ஏர் தரு கடுநீர் தெருவுதொறு ஒழுக" (அகநானூறு, 264: 7-8)

"Māri taḷi ciṟantu ēr taru kaṭunīr teruvutoṟu oḻuka" (Akanāṉūṟu, 264: 7-8)

As the fast-flowing floodwater caused by rich rainclouds was running in every street


* * *

Cēṇiyar as weavers:

"செட்டிகள் வாணிகர் சேணியங்காடியார் தெருவிலங்காடியார் பேர்க்கடமை அச்சுத் தறி சேணியர் தறி சாலியத் தறி பறைத் தறி"(Tamil inscription, 1329 CE, SII, iv, 287)

"Ceṭṭikaḷ vāṇikar cēṇiyaṅkāṭiyār teruvilaṅkāṭiyār pērkkaṭamai accut taṟi cēṇiyar taṟi cāliyat taṟi paṟait taṟi" (Tamil inscription, 1329 CE, SII, iv, 287)

The tax that should be paid by (the merchant groups) Ceṭṭikaḷ, Vāṇikar, Cēṇiyaṅkāṭiyār and Teruvilaṅkāṭiyār, on account of (the deployment of) the Accu type of looms, the looms of Cēṇiyar, the looms of Cāliyar and the looms of Paṟaiyar


* * *

Kaikkōḷar as soldiers cum weavers and the synonyms of Kaikkōḷar:

"செந்குந்தப் படையர் சேனைத் தலைவர் தந்துவாயர், காருகர் கைக்கோளர்" (திவாகரம், 2: 37 )

"Cenkuntap paṭaiyar cēṉait talaivar tantuvāyar, kārukar kaikkōḷar" (Tivākaram, 2: 37

The people who have Ceṅkuntam (spear) as weapon, military commanders, thread makers (Tantu-vāyar; Tanti: thread) and Kārukar (see the following verse) are called Kaikkōḷar


The weaver-related functions of Kārukar/ Kaikkōḷar:

"பருத்தி நூல் பட்டு நூல் அமைத்து ஆடை ஆக்கலும் சுமத்தலும் பிறவும் காருக வினைத்தொழில்" (திவாகரம், 12: 84)

"Parutti nūl paṭṭu nūl amaittu āṭai ākkalum cumattalum piṟavum kāruka viṉaittoḻil" (Tivākaram, 12: 84)

Making cotton and silk thread, weaving them as textiles, carrying them and other related matters are the professional functions of Kārukar


Teriñca Kaikkōḷar as a military regiment of select Kaikkōḷa soldiers:

"வீரசோழ தெரிஞ்ச கைக்கோளரில் தஞ்சாவூர்க் கூற்றத்து கைக்கோளன்" (Tamil inscription, 953 CE, SII, xiii, 45)

"Vīracōḻa teriñca kaikkōḷaril tañcāvūrk kūṟṟattu kaikkōḷaṉ" (Tamil inscription, 953 CE, SII, xiii, 45)

The Kaikkōḷaṉ (soldier) of the Tañcāvūr district, who is a member of the Chola military regiment of select Kaikōḷar


* * *

Taṭṭār as goldsmiths:

"செம்பியன் மாதேவிப் பெருந் தட்டானுக்கு ஒலோகமஹாதேவி ஈஸ்₂வரம் சுட்டிய தட்டாரக் காணியாக" (Tamil inscription, 1016 CE, SII, v, 515)

"Cempiyaṉ mātēvip perun taṭṭāṉukku olōkamahātēvi īśvaram cuṭṭiya taṭṭārak kāṇiyāka" (Tamil inscription, 1016 CE, SII, v, 515)

As the goldsmith's land attached to the temple Olōkamahātēvi Īśvaram, the land given to the master goldsmith in the service of (the queen) Cempiyaṉ Mātevi


* * *

Usage example of Civikai:

"அறத்து ஆறு இது என வேண்டா சிவிகை பொறுத்தானொடு ஊர்ந்தான் இடை" (திருக்குறள், 4: 7)

"Aṟattu āṟu itu eṉa vēṇṭā civikai poṟuttāṉoṭu ūrntāṉ iṭai" (Tirukkuṟaḷ, 4: 7)

Do not say this is the way of Aṟam, between the one who bears a palanquin and the one who rides on it


* * *

Cemmār as shoemakers or leather workers:

"புகன்ற தோல் துன்னர் செம்மார்" (சூடாமணி, 2: 33)

"Pukaṉṟa tōl tuṉṉar cemmār" (Cūṭāmaṇi, 2: 33)

Those who stitch desirable leather are called Cemmār


* * *

Cēṇiya-teru is a street name and locality name found in the neighbourhood of Perumāḷ-kōyil in Jaffna City (Āṟumuka Nāvalar Pirapantattiraṭṭu, Nallūrk Kantacāmi Kōyil II, 1875)

Kaikkōḷat-teru is the old usage found in 19th century writings for the street and locality called Ceṅkuntar-vīti today in Tirunelvēli in Nallur division of Jaffna district (V. Almanac, 2013-14, p. 97). There is another Ceṅkuntar-vīti in Muḷḷiyavaḷai in Karaithuraippattu division of Jaffna district.

Civiyā-teru is a street and locality in Ariyālai in Nallur division of Jaffna district (Jaffna OIS).

Taṭṭā-teru is a street and locality in Vaṇṇārpaṇṇai in Nallur division of Jaffna district.

Cemmā-teru is an old street name and locality name found in the neighbourhood of Grand Bazaar in Jaffna city.

Paṟaṅkit-teru is the locality having many cross-streets in Jaffna city, Jaffna (Āṟumuka Nāvalar, Nallūrk Kantacuvāmy Kōyil -2; 1875)

Paṟaiyaṉ-teṉpu is a locality name found in Vaḷalāy in Valikamam East division of Jaffna district (Balasundaram, p. 388).

* * *

Some related place names:

Teru:

Veḷḷān-teru: Vaṇṇārpaṇṇai, Jaffna city, Jaffna

Ceṭṭit-teru: Sea Street, Colombo city, Colombo

Kaḷḷit-teru: Karainagar, Jaffna (V. Almanac, 2013-14, p. 102)

Naṭut-teru: Karainagar, Jaffna

Kaṭait-teru: Karaithuraippattu, Mullaiththeevu

Cēṉait-teru: Manmunaippattu, Batticaloa

Perun-teru: Trincomalee Town and Gravets, Trincomalee

Paṭṭaṇat-teru: Trincomalee Town and Gravets, Trincomalee

Cōṉaka-teru: Jaffna city, Jaffna

* * *


Revised: Monday, 01 January 2018, 18:30

First published: Thursday, 03 September 2009, 23:58