Know the Etymology: 189
Place Name of the Day: Friday, 01 December 2017

Muḷḷip-paḷḷam, Veḷḷap-paḷḷam, Aṭṭaip-paḷḷam, Paḷḷak-kamam, Paḷḷaṉ-kōṭṭai, Āna-pallama, Ō-palla, Pallā-vela, Pallē-bẹdda, Paṭṭiyagama-Pallēgama

முள்ளிப்பள்ளம், வெள்ளப்பள்ளம், அட்டைப்பள்ளம், பள்ளக்கமம், பள்ளன்கோட்டை, ஆனபல்லம, ஓபல்ல, பல்லாவெல, பல்லேபெᴭ₃த்₃த₃, பட்டியக₃ம-பல்லேக₃ம
Muḷḷip-paḷḷam, Veḷḷap-paḷḷam, Aṭṭaip-paḷḷam, Paḷḷak-kamam, Paḷḷaṉ-kōṭṭai, Āna-pallama, Ō-palla, Pallā-vela, Pallē-bẹdda, Paṭṭiyagama-Pallēgama

Muḷḷi+paḷḷam
Veḷḷam+paḷḷam
Aṭṭai+paḷḷam
Paḷḷam+kamam
Paḷḷaṉ+kōṭṭai
Āna+pallama
Ō+palla/ Oya+palla
Palla+vela
Palla+bẹdda
Paṭṭiya+gama - Palla+gama

The low land found with Muḷḷi plants

The low land where floodwater pools in

The backwaters or sea-arm found with sea cucumbers

The low-lying paddy field or the wet-cultivation paddy field

The settlement enclosure or enclave of Paḷḷar community

The valley of elephants; or the place where a pit was dug to trap elephants

The stream valley

The low-lying paddy field; or the lower part of the paddy field tract

The low-lying jungle or the lower part of the jungle

The lower part village of the larger village called Paṭṭiyagama

Paḷḷam	lowness, low land, valley, ditch, dimple (Tamil, DED 4016); pond, pool (Tamil, Caṅkam diction, Kuruntokai, 276: 2; Campantar, 2: 1: 5; inscription 960 CE, EI, xv, 5); stream, stream in a valley (Tamil usage); pit, hole, low ground, low shore (Malayalam, DED 4016); Paḷḷakkai: low land (Tamil, MTL, Winslow); Paḷḷak-kāṭu: low dry-cultivation land (Tamil, MTL); Paḷḷak-kāl: low wet-cultivation land, channel carrying water to lands in a low level (Tamil, MTL); Paḷ: valley (Toda, DED 4016); Paḷḷa: depth, pit, low ground, stream (Kannada, DED 4016); river (Irula, DED 4016); Paḷḷa, Palla, Pallā: shallow stream, pond, ditch, hollow, low spot, hole, pit (Tulu, DED 4016); Pallamu: pit, low ground, dale, wet land, wet crop (Telugu, DED 4016);
Pallama	(singular), Pallam: (plural) low place, hollow, valley, descent of a hill, declivity (Sinhala, Clough); Palla: underneath, ground below, bottom (Sinhala, Clough); Pallala: small lake, pond, tank (Sinhala, Clough); marsh, pond (Pali, Prakrit, CDIAL 7976); Palvala: pool, pond (Sanskrit, CDIAL 7976; late usage and cognates are limited). See box on Paḷḷam in Tamil
Palla	underneath, ground below, bottom (Sinhala, Clough); in place names it may mean a low land or a lower place (Sinhala place names); it also means low in rank, as in Pallaru: subdivision of Palī, a term applied to washers for low castes (Sinhala, Clough). See boxes on Pallama and Pallē in Sinhala and Paḷḷam in Tamil
Pallē	adjectival and prefix form, meaning a low land, as in Pallē-pola; a lower place or a lower part of a place, as in Pallē Aḷudeṇiya (Sinhala place names); Pallē-gama: a village or part of a village located at a lower elevation, as opposed to Uḍa-gama/ Uḍu-gama; or a lower part of a village as in Hapuviṭa Pallēgama (Sinhala Place names); a position or office lower in rank, as in Pallē-mahavāsal: queens palace as compared to King's palace (Sinhala, Sorata); Pallē-gampaha: a position under Maha-adikāram (Sinhala, Sorata). See boxes on Palla and Pallama in Sinhala and Paḷḷam in Tamil
Paḷḷaṉ	also Paḷḷar: a caste engaged in agricultural work; Paḷḷa: adjective of Paḷḷar (Tamil, see column 244)
Muḷḷi	thorny plants in general, mostly used for an aquatic species, Hygrophila spinosa (Tamil, DED 4995). See column 108
Veḷḷam	flood, deluge, sea, water (Tamil, DED 5503, Maturaikkāñci, 109; cognates in 6 Dravidian languages including Brahui); Veḷḷak-kāṭu: total inundation of a place or field (Tamil, Winslow); Veḷḷa-vāykkāl: flood outlet (Eezham Tamil usage); Veḷḷak-kāl, Veḷḷak-kāṉ: flood channel (Tamil, inscriptions, 753 CE, SII, ii, 73; 1018 CE, SII, iii, 205)
Aṭṭai	leech, also several kinds of non-poisonous centipedes (Tamil, DED 99); in the context of the place name means, Kaṭal-aṭṭai: sea cucumber, sea leech, Pontobdella (Tamil, MTL); Aṭṭu: (verb) to join, stick, adhere (Tamil, DED 96); to be discharged as pus, flow as honey, to pour (Tamil, DED 97); Aṭṭuva: any glutinous substance (Sinhala, Clough)
Kamam	paddy field (Eezham Tamil, see column 173)
Kōṭṭai	means settlement enclosure, enclave or quarters in the context of the placename, as in another example, Tārakaṉ-kōṭṭai in Mannar; Kōṭṭa: residence (Malayalam, DED 2207). See columns 62 and 237
Vela	paddy field (Sinhala, see column 100)
Bẹdda	forest, wood, thicket, jungle, (Sinhala, Clough). See column 198
Gama	village (Sinhala, see column 36); for Paṭṭiyagama see column 191

Paḷḷam as noun and Paḷḷa as adjective in Tamil, and Pallama/ Palla as noun and Pallā/ Pallē as adjective in Sinhala are cognates sharing similar meanings in place names. Paḷḷam is listed as a term of Dravidian etymology (DED 4016)

Another word Paḷḷar, the adjective of which would also come as Paḷḷa in Tamil, mean a community of agricultural workers. See column 244.

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Paḷḷam meaning a low ground:

"பள்ளம் படரும் பன்னீர் போல" (பெருங்கதை, 78: 89)

"Paḷḷam paṭarum paṉṉīr pōla" (Peruṅkatai, 78: 89)

Like waters from all sides reaching a low ground


Paḷḷam meaning a marsh in a shallow ground:

"குறுமகள் பாவை தை-இயும் பஞ்சாய்ப் பள்ளம் சூழ்ந்தும்" (குறுந்தொகை, 276: 1-2)

"Kuṟumakaḷ pāvai tai-iyum pañcāyp paḷḷam cūḻntum" (Kuṟuntokai, 276: 1-2)

By going into the shallow marsh to collect reed, from which the young girl makes dolls


Paḷḷam meaning a pond or pool:

"பள்ள மீன் இரை தேர்ந்து உழலும் பகுவாயன புள்ளு" (சம்பந்தர் தேவாரம், 2: 1: 5)

"Paḷḷa mīṉ irai tērntu uḻalum pakuvāyaṉa puḷḷu" (Campantar Tēvāram, 2: 1: 5)

The bird of big or divided beak that wanders in search of fish in the pond


Paḷḷam meaning a valley:

"பள்ளம் தாழுறு புனல்" (திருவாசகம், 3: 25)

"Paḷḷam tāḻuṟu puṉal" (Tiruvācakam, 3: 25)

Like a massive sheet of water falling down into the valley, like a waterfall

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Aṭṭai meaning leech is related to the verb Aṭṭu meaning to be adhesive (DED 96). Leeches are known for being adhesive in sucking blood. Non-poisonous centipedes stick to the ground if disturbed. A cover of a book is also called Aṭṭai in Tamil, as it is adhesive to the book. Aṭṭu as verb also means to discharge as pus (DED 97). When disturbed, Kaṭal-aṭṭai (sea cucumber) would discharge a sticky substance to make the water around it murky.

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Aṭṭai meaning leech:

"அட்டைகள் போல் சுவைப்பார்" (நம்மாழ்வார் பாசுரம், 9: 1: 2)

"Aṭṭaikaḷ pōl cuvaippār" (Nammāḻvār Pācuram, 9: 1: 2)

They suck and taste like leeches


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Usage examples of Veḷḷam:

வெள்ளம் மாறாது விளையுள் பெருக" (மதுரைக்காஞ்சி, 109)

"Veḷḷam māṟātu viḷaiyuḷ peruka" (Maturaikkāñci, 109)

Let the crop produce increase without floodwater or water-flow failing


"வெள்ளத்து அனைய மலர் நீட்டம்" (திருக்குறள், 60: 5)

"Veḷḷattu aṉaiya malar nīṭṭam" (Tirukkuṟaḷ, 60: 5)

The height of water lily is in accordance with the height of water in a pond

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Muḷḷip-paḷḷam is a place in Mannar Town division of Mannar district.

Veḷḷap-paḷḷam is in Puthukkudiyiruppu division of Mullaiththeevu district.

Aṭṭaip-paḷḷam is the name of a backwater and place in Ninthavur division of Amparai district.

Paḷḷak-kamam is in Nanaddan division of Mannar district.

Paḷḷaṉ-kōṭṭai is a place in Nanaddan division of Mannar district.

Āna-pallama is the name of a place in Wellawaya division of Moneragala district.

Ō-palla is a place in Thumpane division of Kandy district.

Pallā-vela, comes in Mulatiyana division of Matara district.

Pallē-bẹdda is in Embilipitiya division of Ratnapura district.

Paṭṭiyagama Palle-gama comes as a place name in Deldota division of Kandy district.

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Some related place names:

Paḷḷam:

Nattaip-paḷḷam: Kaṟukkāyt-tīvu, Poonakari, Kilinochchi (V. Almanac, 2013-14, P. 97). Nattai: snail, also see column 124

Nellip-paḷḷam: Cōraṉpaṟṟu, Pachchilaippalli, Kilinochchi (V. Almanac, 2013-14, p. 102)

Oṭṭup-paḷḷam: Manthai West, Mannar

Periya-paḷḷam: Kuchchaveli, Trincomalee

Kiṇaṟṟaiṭip-paḷḷam: Kinniya, Trincomalee

Iluppaiyaṭip-paḷḷam: Eravurpattu, Batticaloa

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Paḷḷa: (adjective)

Paḷḷa-veḷi: Karaithuraippattu, Mullaiththeevu

Paḷḷap-pulam: Vēlaṇai, Kayts, Jaffna (V. Almanac, 2013-14, p. 91)

Paḷḷap-pāti: Alvāy, Vadamaradchi Southwest, Jaffna (Balasundaram, p. 266). Pāti: half, part, share

Paḷḷak-kaṭṭuvaṉ: Poonakari, Kilinochchi

Paḷḷa-maṭu: Manthai West, Mannar

Paḷḷattuc-cēṉai: Koralaippattu, Batticaloa

Paḷḷa-vaṭṭai: Poratheevuppattu, Batticaloa

Paḷḷak-kuḷam: Kuchchaveli, Trincomalee

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Pallama:

Pallama: Pallama, Puttalam

Jūl-pallama: Thissamaharama, Hambantota. Jūl: wood apple

Mora-gaha-pallama: Damana, Ampara

Maha-iḷup-pallama: Ipalogama, Anuradhapura. Iḷup, Iḷuk: a kind of grass

Ẹhẹḷa-gas-pallama: Damana, Ampara

Gal-oya-pallama: Damana, Ampara

Mī-gaha-pallama: Damana, Ampara

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Palla:

Māla-palla: Maharagama, Colombo. Māla: = Mahala: mansion (Sorata)

Ẹti-pallā-vala: Yatawatta, Matale

Paradu-palla: Pitabeddara, Matara. Para-du?

Kẹṭaliyam-palla: Ratnapura, Ratnapura

Toṭa-palla: Imbulpe, Ratnapura

Vel-palla: Pannala, Kurunegala. Vel: paddy field

Ganē-palla: Yatiyanthota, Kegalle

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Palla, Pallā: (adjective)

Pallattara: Beliatta, Hambantota. Palla+atara or Palla+tara

Pallan-oya: Damana, Ampara

Pallava Dampiṭiya: Bamunukotuwa, Kurunegala

Palla-kẹlē: Madampe, Puttalam

Pallaṅ-kulama: Rambewa, Anuradhapura. See Paḷḷak-kuḷam

Pallan-sēna: Negombo, Colombo. See Paḷḷattuc-cēṉai

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Pallē: (adjective)

Pallē-vela: Mirigama, Gampaha; Udadumbara, Kandy; Hanguranketha, Nuwara Eliya; Walapane, Nuwara Eliya; Kuliyapitiya West, Kurunegala; Kandaketiya, Badulla; Uva Paranagama, Badulla; Siyambalanduwa, Moneragala; Imbulpe, Ratnapura; Kegalle, Kegalle. Vela: paddy field

Pallē-gama: Dompe, Gampaha; Pujapitiya, Kandy; Kundasale, Kandy; Udapalatha, Kandy; Pasbage Korale, Kandy; Dambulla, Matale; Rattota, Matale; Kotapola, Matara; Ampalantota, Hambantota; Padiyathalawa, Ampara; Panduwasnuwara West, Kurunegala; Mawathagama, Kurunegala; Passara, Badulla; Hali-Ela, Badulla; Badalkumbura, Moneragala. Gama: village

Pallē-koṭṭuva: Thumpane, Kandy

Pallē-kanda: Udadumbara, Kandy; Rideegama, Kurunegala; Soranathota, Badulla; Balangoda, Ratnapura

Pallē-vatta: Minipe, Kandy

Pallē-bāge: Medadumbara, Kandy

Aḷut Pallē-kẹlē: Kundasale, Kandy

Pallē-mulla: Harispattuva, Kandy

Pallē-pola: Pallepola, Matale; Hatharaliyadda, Kandy

Pallē-yāya: Rattota, Matale; Rideegama, Kurunegala

Pallē-kuṁbura: Ukuwela, Matale

Pallē-Maḷuva: Hanguranketha, Nuwara Eliya

Pallē-kiruva: Lunugala, Badulla

Pallē-pēruva: Ella, Badulla

Pallē-gedara: Elapatha, Ratnapura

Pallē-kaḍa: Ayagama, Ratnapura

Pallē-vāvva: Okewela, Hambantota

Pallē-kẹlē: Polpithigama, Kurunegala

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Pallē and Pallēgama coming as component in other place names:

Vilāna Pallē-gama: Akurana, Kandy

Pallē-vẹli-kẹṭiya: Akurana, Kandy

Pallē Dīgala: Akurana, Kandy

Pallē-tala-vinna: Pathadumbara, Kandy

Pallē-galade-bokka: Minipe, Kandy

Pallē-gunnẹpāna: Kundasale, Kandy

Sirimalvatta Pallē-gama: Kundasale, Kandy

Ampiṭiya Pallē-gama: Kandy Four Gravets, Kandy

Pallē-bokkala-vela: Harispattuva, Kandy

Yaṭihalagala Pallē-gama: Harispattuva, Kandy

Hal-oḷuva Pallē-gama: Harispattuva, Kandy

Uḍavela Pallē-maḍitta: Yatiniwara, Kandy

Pallē Aḷudeṇiya: Udunuwara, Kandy

Pallē-del-toṭa: Doluwa, Kandy

Uḍuvela Pallē-gama: Pathahewaheta, Kandy

Haputale Pallē-gama: Pathahewaheta, Kandy

Mẹdagama Pallē-gama: Pathahewaheta, Kandy

Pallē Ẹsvẹdduma: Ambanganga Korale, Matale

Laggala Pallē-gama: Laggala-Pallegama, Matale

Pallē Vēragama: Rattota, Matale

Pallē Makuruppa: Hanguranketha, Nuwara Eliya

Pallē Aparẹkka: Devinuwara, Matara

Pallē-malala: Hambantota, Hambantota

Pallē Jūlampiṭiya: Walasmulla, Hambantota

Pallē-horaṁbuva: Rideegama, Kurunegala

Pallē-mōru-gama: Alawwa, Kurunegala

Pallē-kẹkulā-vala: Alawwa, Kurunegala

Pallē-hińgura: Kekirawa, Anuradhapura

Ẹṁbilipitiya Pallē-gama: Embilipitiya, Ratnapura

Debat-gama Pallē-bāgē: Aranayaka, Kegalle

Dīvela Pallē-gama: Kegalle, Kegalle

Hapuviṭa Pallē-gama: Kegalle, Kegalle

Gan-tuna Pallē-gama: Kegalle, Kegalle

Dora-vaka Pallē-bāge: Warakapola, Kegalle

Maha Pallē-gama: Warakapola, Kegalle

Kuḍā Pallē-gama: Warakapola, Kegalle

Pallē-pẹl-piṭa: Warakapola, Kegalle

Palle Kaṇugala: Ruwanwella, Kegalle

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Revised: Friday, 01 December 2017, 18:30

First published: Thursday, 17 February 2011, 06:45