Know the Etymology: 185
Place Name of the Day: Thursday, 09 November 2017

Nā-pā-vala, Nā-pā-goḍa, Dehi-gas-pā, Kańdu-pā-gama, Mā-pā-kańda, Sirī-pā-gama, Gal-pāya

நா[ப்]பாவல, நா[ப்]பாகொ₃ட₃, தெ₃ஹிக₃ஸ்பா, கந்து₃பாக₃ம, மா[ப்]பாகந்த₃, ஸிரீபாக₃ம, க₃ல்பாய
Nā-pā-vala, Nā-pā-goḍa, Dehi-gas-pā, Kańdu-pā-gama, Mā-pā-kańda, Sirī-pā-gama, Gal-pāya

Nā+pā+vala
Nā+pā+goḍa
Dehi+gas+pā
Kańdu+pā+gama
Mā+pā+kanda
Sirī+pā+gama
Gal+pāya

The Nā-tree forest

The Nā-forest bank/ hill/ village

The lime-shrub grove

The hill-place village or the hill-forest village

The great person's hill or the hill having a mansion/ temple

The sacred-footprint village

The stone mansion/ temple or the rocky expanse

Pā1	tree in general (Sinhala, Clough); suffix of tree names, as in Mī-pā: = Mīgas, Mī tree (Sinhala, Sorata); root of a tree, "Rukmula" (Sinhala, Sorata); Pē: tree, grove (Sinhala, Clough); Etymology 1. Pācu: greenness, verdure (Tamil, DED 3821); Pai: (verb) to become green; (noun) greenness (Tamil, DED 3821); Etymology 2. Pādapa: tree, plant (Sanskrit, CDIAL 8061); tree (Pali, CDIAL 8061); Pāda+pa: literally meaning drinking at foot, i.e., tree, plant (Sanskrit, Monier Williams)
Pā2	forest, jungle, "Vanaya" (Sinhala, Sorata); Pē: tree, grove (Sinhala, Clough); Pāḍi: a small forest (Tulu, DED 4063); Hāḍi: a small grove (Kannada, DED 4063). See Pā 1; also see columns 193 and 373
Pā3	place, "Pala" (Sinhala Sorata); Pā: expanse (Tamil, DED 4088); Pāy: (verb) to spread, extend (Tamil, DED 4088)
Pā4	suffix, meaning a great person, as in Maharaja-pā; "Śreṣṭa, Uttama, Pūjya" (Sinhala, Sorata); Etymology 1: Appā: father (Tamil, Sinhala, Winslow, Sorata; related to DED 156a); a word of respect to aged men (Tamil, Winslow); Appa: father, frequently added to proper names of men as a term of common respect (Kannada, DED 156 a); cognates in 12 Dravidian languages; Etymology 2: Pāri: (verb) to be huge; (noun) man of consequence (Tamil, DED 3972); Paru: (verb) to become large (Tamil, DED 3972);
Pā5	foot, "Pādaya" (Sinhala, Clough, Sorata); Pāda: foot (Sanskrit, Rig Vedic, CDIAL, 8056)
Pā6	mansion, palace, royal residence, (Sinhala, Clough); "Prasādaya" (Sinhala Sorata). See Pāya 2
Pāya1	from Pā 3: place, "Pala" (Sinhala, Sorata); seems to be meaning expanse in some place names; Pā: expanse (Tamil, DED 4088); Pāy: (verb) to spread, extend (Tamil, DED 4088). See column 67
Pāya2	palace, mansion, residence of a king or nobleman, temple (Sinhala, Clough); Pā: mansion, palace, royal residence, (Sinhala, Clough); "Prāsādaya" (Sinhala Sorata); Pahaya, Pahāya: = Pāya, "Prāsādaya (Sinhala, Clough, Sorata); Etymology 1. Pāsāya: palace (Prakrit, CDIAL 8971); Pāsāda: lofty platform, terrace, high building (Pali, CDIAL 8971); Prāsāda: lofty seat or terrace, lofty mansion (Sanskrit, CDIAL 8971); Etymology 2. Pay: house (Kota, DED 3948); may be related to Pāy: bedding (Tamil, DED 4088); Pāḻi: temple (Tamil, DED 4112)
Nā	a tree, Mesua ferrea (Sinhala, Clough). See column 210
Vala	forest (Sinhala, see column 40)
Goḍa	bank, hill, village, (Sinhala, see column 160)
Dehi	lime, Citrus limetta (Sinhala, see column 35)
Gas	tree, palm, shrub, reed, plant, (Sinhala, see column 153)
Kańda	hill, mountain, hillock, mass, multitude (Sinhala, see column 6)
Sirī	sacred, auspicious (Sinhala, see column 81)
Gama	village (Sinhala, see column 36)
Gal	stone, rock, hill (Sinhala, see column 46)

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The component Pā is found used in different shades of meanings in Sinhala Place names. It may mean a tree, jungle, grove, place, great person, footprint, mansion or temple. See relevant boxes for etymology.

The component Pāya coming in Sinhala place names is either related to Pā meaning a place (Pala), or Pā meaning a mansion or temple.

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Nā-pā-vala is a place in Eheliyagoda division of Ratnapura district.

Nā-pā-goḍa is in Attanagalla division of Gampaha district.

Dehi-gas-pā comes in Pitabeddara division of Matara district.

Kańdu-pā-gama comes as place name in Thirappane division of Anuradhapura district.

Sirī-pā-gama is in Ratnapura division of Ratnapura district.

Mā-pā-kańda is a place in Pasbage Korale division of Kandy district.

Gal-pāya is seen as a place name in Weligepola division of Ratnapura district; Gnaga Ihala Korale division in Kandy district and in Weligepola division of Ratnapura district.

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Some related place names:

Pā:

Bō-pā-gama: Attanagalla, Gampaha

Bō-pā-goḍa: Hikkaduwa, Galle

Mī-pā-gama: Kalawana, Ratnapura

Hal-pā-vala: Pelmadulla, Ratnapura

Dehi-pā-goḍa: Udunuwara, Kandy

Tal-pā-vila: Matara Four Gravets, Matara

Hańda-pān-goḍa: Ingiriya, Kalutara

Hańda-pāň-gala Ayna: Weeraketiya, Hampantota

Hańda-pān-gala: Narammama, Kurunegala. Hańdun, Sańdun: sandalwood (Sinhala, Clough); Cantu, Cāntu: sandalwood (Tamil, DED 2448); from the verb Cāttu: to anoint (Tamil, DED 2448) 

Sańda-pā-gama: Thirappane, Anuradhapura. Hańdun, Sańdun: sandalwood (Sinhala, Clough); Cantu, Cāntu: sandalwood (Tamil, DED 2448); from the verb Cāttu: to anoint (Tamil, DED 2448) 

Gala-pā-mula: Galewela, Matale

Hap-pā-vara: Hanguranketha, Nuwara Eliya

Velam-pā-goḍa: Hanguranketha, Nuwara Eliya

Ram-pā-deṇiya: Ambagamuwa, Nuwara Eliya

Nayā-pā-mula: Baddegama, Galle

Hap-pā-vana: Habaraduwa, Galle

Mayilam-pā-veḷi: Eravurpattu, Batticaloa

Puṭu-pā-gala: Dompe, Gampaha

Pā-goḍa: SJ Kotte, Colombo: Ratnapura, Ratnapura

Pā-maňkaḍa: Thibirigasyaya, Colombo

Jaha-pā-gama: Ganewatta, Kurunegala

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Pāya:

Uggal-pāya: Mawatagama, Kurunegala

Val-gam-pāya: Yatinuwara, Kandy

Māṇā-pāya: Ibbagamuwa, Kurunegala. Māṇā: 1. Buddhist priest, religious ascetic; "Mahaṇa, Śramaṇa" (Sinhala, Sorata); 2. Mānān: low grassland, "Pahat taṇabima"

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Revised: Thursday, 09 November 2017, 18:30

First published: Thursday, 03 February 2011, 00:30