Know the Etymology: 140
Place Name of the Day: Tuesday, 01 August 2017

Kaḍavat-maḍuva, Maḍu-gas-talāva, Oya-maḍuva

கட₃வத்மடு₃வ, மடு₃க₃ஸ்தலாவ, ஒயமடு₃வ
Kaḍavat-maḍuva, Maḍu-gas-talāva, Oya-maḍuva

Kaḍavat+maḍuva
Maḍu+gas+talāva
Oya+maḍuva

The border check-post shed

The tableland open-glade found with Maḍu palms

The pond or tank of the stream

Maḍu1	(plural and combinations), Maḍuva (singular): a shed, open hall, temporary building, bungalow; "Maṇṭapaya, Śālāva" (Sinhala, Sorata, Clough); Maḍu-gē: shed-house, an open shed adjacent to the main house; " Maḍuva vū geya; Pradhāna geya lańga sệdū bitti nẹti geya" (Sinhala, Sorata); Maḍi: = Maḍuva (Sinhala, Sorata, EZ, iii, 227); = Maḍigaya: a shed or structure serving as watch-post, customs, small shop, caravan station etc. (Sinhala, Sorata, see column 427 on Maḍi-gē); Etymology 1: Maḍa: = Maṇḍapaya (Sinhala, Sorata); open hall (Sinhala, Sigiri Graffiti, ii, 452); Maḍapa: = Maṇḍapaya, also a shop in a shed, platform etc., "Veḷeńdapaḷa" (Sinhala, Sorata, EZ, iii, 77); Maḍam, Maḍama: a roadside shed or hall to take rest; "Viśrāmaśālāva"; hermitage, "Tāpasāśramaya" (Sinhala, Sorata); Maḍha: hut (Prakrit, CDIAL 9727); Maṭha: hut, cottage, especially cell of an ascetic (Sanskrit, CDIAL 9727; related to Maṇḍapa and in turn to non-Indo-Aryan origins, CDIAL 9740); Maṭam: the same as Maḍam in Sinhala; related to Māṭam: hall, hut, house, storied house (Tamil, DED 4796a); cognates in 9 Dravidian languages; Māḍa: shrine of a demon (Tulu, DED 4796a); Māḍû: roof (Tulu, DED 4796a); see column 190 on Maṭam, Maḷuva and Māl; Etymology 2: Maṇḍu: = Maṇḍapaya (Sinhala, Sorata); Maṇḍa: some sort of framework, possibly related to Maṭha and Maṇḍapa, (Sanskrit, CDIAL 9737); Maṇḍapaya: temporary building, open shed or hall, adorned with flowers and erected on occasions, tabernacle, an open building or temple consecrated to a deity; "Maḍuva, Śālāva" (Sinhala, Clough, Sorata); temporary shed for festive occasions (Pali, CDIAL 9740); open temporary shed, pavilion (Sanskrit, CDIAL, 9740, non IA origin cited); see Etymology 1 for the relationship with Māṭam (DED 4796)
Maḍu2	The false sago palm, Cycas circinalis (Sinhala, Clough); Mańḍu: = Maḍu; the Maḍu palm, "Maḍu-gasa" (Sinhala, Sorata); Maḍu-piyali: nuts of the false sago palm, broken into pieces, dried and converted into flower for food (Sinhala, Clough); etymology seems related to Maṭal: flat leaf of palm, screw pine etc., jagged stem of palmyra leaf (Tamil, DED 4663, Kuṟuntokai, 177: 3; 182: 1; Puṟanāṉūṟu, 29: 13-14); palm bough (Malayalam, DED 4663); Maṭṭai: leaf-stalk of a fern or palm (Tamil, DED 4663); Maṭṭa: palm branch (Malayalam, Telugu, DED 4663); base of fronds of coconut palm (Kodagu, DED 4663); spathe of palm tree (Gadba, DED 4663); Maḍal: bough of the coconut palm (Kannada, DED 4663); Maḍalu: palm branch (Tulu, DED 4663); Maṭulu: the fibrous net like part that holds the base of palm branches; "Tal pol ādi gashi atta gasaṭa sambanda karaṇa kedidệlak vẹni avayavaya" (Sinhala, Sorata); Maṇḍ-īcalu: the false sago palm, Cycas circinalis (Kannada; the prefix seems to be related to Maḍal, as Īcalu means wild date palm, DED 2617; Īndû: sago-palm in Tulu, DED 2617);
Maḍu3	also Maḍuva: means a deep pond or tank in Sinhala and Sinhalicised place names in the North, North Central, North Western and Eastern Provinces, corresponding to Maṭu in Tamil; the meaning is not given in Sinhala dictionary entries (see column 86 and related place names in this column); Maṭu: pond, pool, deep place in a river or channel, a fold on the ground (Tamil, DED 4658, Campantar Tēvāram, 1: 68: 4; Tivākaram, 5: 61; 5: 229; inscription, c. 1000, SII, v, 873); a deep place, pool (Malayalam, DED 4658); Maḍu, Maḍa, Maḍuvu, Maḍavu, Maḍuhu: deep water, deep place in a river, pool (Kannada, DED 4658); Maḍūgu: pond, tank, basin, lake, pool, or collection of any liquid in a pit or hollow (Telugu, DED 4658); Maṭā: a large earthen vessel (Tamil, DED 4651, Patiṟṟuppattu, 24: 20); Maḍake: pot (Kannada, DED 4651); Maṭaṅku: (verb) be bend (Tamil, DED 4645); Maṭi: (verb) to be bent, to turn in, curl, curve; (noun) belly, waist, lap, pouch (Tamil, DED 4645, Akanāṉūṟu, 50: 11); Maḍi: (verb) to bend; (noun) bending, pouch like fold (Kannada, DED 4645); cognates in 10 Dravidian languages
Kaḍavata	border post or station, Gravet, (Sinhala, Clough); Kaṭa: (verb) to pass through (Tamil, DED 1109). See column 429
Talāva	open glade, meadow, tableland, open-country without jungle in the mountainous districts, (Sinhala, Clough). See column 157
Oya	rivulet, stream (Sinhala, Clough). See column 25

Maḍu/ Maḍuva in Sinhala commonly means a shed, open hall, temporary building or a bungalow.

Maḍu-gē, Maḍi, Maḍigaya, Maḍi-gē, Maḍa, Maḍapa and Maḍam/ Maḍama are related cognates in Sinhala.

The terms and the meanings correspond to Maṭam and Māṭam in Tamil/ Dravidian, and to Maṭha and Maṇḍapa in Sanskrit. Non-Indo-Aryan origin is cited for the latter (CDIAL 9740).

Maḍu/ Maḍuva differs in meaning in the Sinhala and Sinhalicised place names in the North, North Central, Northwest and Eastern Provinces, where it means a pond or tank corresponding to Maṭu in Tamil/ Dravidian. See related place names given in this column and see column 86 on Maṭu in Tamil.

* * *

Maḍu also means the false sago palm (Cycas circinalis) in Sinhala, which comes in some Sinhala place names.

The etymology of Maḍu in this meaning seems to be related to Maṭṭai, Maṭṭa, Maṭal, Maḍal, Maḍalu etc. in many Dravidian languages meaning leaf-branches typical of the palm variety of trees. Sinhala also has a cognate Maṭulu in this respect (see box on Maḍu 2).

* * *

Kaḍavat-maḍuva is in Welikanda division of Polonnaruwa district. This is the border point between North Central and Eastern Provinces (Polonnaruva and Batticaloa districts).

Maḍu-gas-talāva is a place in Passara division of Badulla district.

Oya-maḍuva is in Maha Villachchiya division of Anuradhapura district.

* * *

Some related place names:

Maḍu/ Maḍuva as a shed or structure:

Maḍuvē-gedara: Attanagalla, Gampaha. Gedara: house

Gal-maḍuva: Kundasale, Kandy. Stone-built open hall, The meaning here is different from Gal-maḍuva/ Kal-maṭu meaning a rocky pond or pond in the rocks in the North and East

Gam-maḍuva: Ambanganga Korale, Matale. Probably a village hall or community hall; Gammaḍu also means a ritual in Sinhala

Gigum-maḍuva: Neluwa, Galle. See column 86

Gam-maḍu-vatta: Hikkaduwa, Galle. Vatta: place, garden, grove

Am-maḍuva: Weligepola, Ratnapura. Probably,1. Hama: practice of medicine, "Vedaham, Vedakam" (Sinhala, Sorata); 2. Ham: "Dhanapatīn vasana geya"; Ham-tala: "Prāsādatalaya" (Sinhala, Sorata)

Dehi-maḍuva: Mawanella, Kegalle. Dehi: lime

Mal-maḍuva: Warakapola, Kegalle. Mal: hill

* * *

Maḍu as false sago palm:

Maḍu-vala: Mulatiyana, Matara. Vala: forest

Maḍu-māna: Hanguranketha, Nuwara Eliya; Walapane, Nuwara Eliya. Māna: range, expanse

Maḍu-vatta: Lunugala, Badulla. Vatta: grove, garden, place

Maḍu-gama: Siyambalanduwa, Moneragala

Maḍu-koṭan Arāva: Badalkumbura, Moneragala. Koṭan: verb form of cutting, axing; Arāva: newly cleared cultivation field

Maḍu-gaha-paṭṭiya: Badalkumbura, Moneragala. Paṭṭi: cattle pen

Maḍu-gas-mulla: Badalkumbura, Moneragala. Mulla: multitude, corner

Maḍu-van-vela: Embilipitiya, Ratnapura, van: forest; vela: paddy field

Maḍu-galla: Udadumbara, Kandy. Gal: hill

* * *

Maḍuva as pond or tank:

Kok-maḍuva comes as a place name in Giribawa division of Kurunegala district and in Kahatagasdigiliya division of Anuradhapura district. Kok: crane

Pāvaṭṭā-maḍuva is in Kuruwalagaswewa division of Puttalam district. Pāvaṭṭā: a shrub

Kalukkunnam-maḍuva: Vavuniya South, Vavuniya

Maḍuk-kanda: Vavuniya South, Vavuniya. Kanda: hill, mound

Mā-maḍuva: Vavuniya South, Vavuniya. Mā: big

Mal-maḍuva: Vayiravar-ciṉṉak-kuḷam, (Vavuniya OIS). Mal: flower; see Pū-maḍuva

Pirappam-maḍuva: Vavuniya South, Vavuniya. (As found in Sinhala official records. English version comes as Pirappan-maḍuva). Pirampu: rattan cane

Pū-maḍuva: Vavuniya South, Vavuniya. Pū: flower

Gal-maḍuva: Damana, Ampara; Thalawa, Anuradhapura. See Kal-maṭu in column 86

Āṇa-maḍuva: Anamaduwa, Puttalam. Āṉai: elephant

Rāl-maḍuva: Vannaththivillu, Puttalam. Rāl: shrimp

Periya-maḍuva: Pallam, Puttalam. Periya: big

Pē-maḍuva: Maha Villachchiya, Anuradhapura. Pē: ghost

Maradan-maḍuva: Horowpohthana, Anuradhapura. See Maruta-maṭu

Paṇḍi-kāra-maḍuva: Galenbindunuwewa, Anuradhapura.

Kasa-maḍuva: Mihinthale, Anuradapura. Kasa: Kāya, a flowering tree

Payiri-maḍuva: Thirappane Anuradhapura. Payiri: an edible green

Selesti-maḍuva: Thirappane, Anuradhapura

Uṭṭi-maḍuva: Thirappane, Anuradhapura

Vannam-maḍuva: Thirappane, Anuradhapura. Vaṇṇāṉ: washerman

Maruta-maḍu-vẹva: near Kammalbẹndivẹva, Horowpothana OIS. See Maruta-maṭu

Agul-maḍuva: Belliatta, Hambantota. Agul: ditch, moat

Gigum-maḍuva: Neluwa, Galle. Gigum: thunder; probably a depression or waterhole caused by thunderbolt

* * *

Notes on Maḍu (false sago palm/ Cycas circinalis):

Cycas circinalis is endemic to the Western Ghats of South India and to the mountainous parts of the island of Lanka/ Ilaṅkai. 

Even though commonly called a palm, Maḍu or Cycas circinalis, is a cycad of the Cycadeceae family that comes unchanged from the Jurassic times.

Some tribes of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu make flour for food by processing the seeds of this cycad. 

The seeds coming from the female cycad are soaked in water, smoked, dried and roasted to remove toxins, before using the flour for food. 

Various items such as Piṭṭu, Iṭiyappam, Iṭli, Puḻukku and porridges are made from Cycas circinalis flour by tribes in the Western Ghats of Kerala. The young leaf shoots of the cycad are also used for food. The uses are the same in the island.

The Maḍu cycad is also of high medicinal value, as the flower cone of the male cycad is used in making aphrodisiacs and medicinal products made from the pith of the tree are given to lactating mothers. Due to felling for commercialized medicinal use, the cycad has become an endangered species today. 

* * *



* * *


Revised: Tuesday, 01 August 2017, 18:30

First published: Wednesday, 18 November 2009, 05:52