Know the Etymology: 198
Place Name of the Day: Tuesday, 05 December 2017

Īccilam-paṟṟai/ Īccilam-pattai, Ińdi-bẹdda, Bẹddē-gama

ஈச்சிலம்பற்றை/ ஈச்சிலம்பத்தை, இந்தி₃பெᴭ₃த்₃த₃, பெᴭ₃த்₃தே₃க₃ம
Īccilam-paṟṟai/ Īccilam-pattai, Ińdi-bẹdda, Bẹddē-gama

Īñcil+am+paṟṟai/ pattai
Ińdi+bẹdda
Bẹdda+gama

The thicket of dwarf wild date palms

The thicket or jungle of dwarf wild date palms

The jungle village or the village in the jungle

Paṟṟai	bushes, low shrubbery, underwood (Tamil, MTL); cluster (Tamil, MTL); Paṟṟai-maṟaivu: interception of bushes (Tamil, Winslow notes Jaffna usage); Paṟṟaik-kāṭu: thicket, bushy jungle (Eezham Tamil usage); Paṟṟam: collection, mass as of hair (Tamil, MTL, Cīvakacintāmaṇi, 1707); crowd, multitude (Tamil, MTL cites Nāñcil/ Kaṉyākumari usage); Paṟṟu: (verb) to grasp, seize, adhere to, become joined to; (noun) adherence (Tamil, DED 4034); Paṟṟip-paṭar: (verb) to entwine and spread as a creeper (Tamil, MTL, DED 4034+3844); cognates in 13 Dravidian languages; see box on Pattai
Pattai	also, Pattaik-kāṭu: thicket (spoken Eezham Tamil); through Ṟ/ T change, variation of Paṟṟai: bushes, low shrubbery, underwood, (Tamil, MTL, see box on Paṟṟai); Pattam: mass, heap, collection (Tamil, MTL, Paṭṭiṉattup Piḷḷaiyār Kōyiṟ Tiruvantāti, 2); through Ṟ/ T change; Paṟṟam: collection, mass as of hair, crowd, multitude (Tamil, MTL, see box on Paṟṟai); Paṟṟu: (verb) to grasp, seize, adhere to, become joined to; (noun) adherence (Tamil, DED 4034); Partu, Pattu: (verb) to stick to adhere, be united, join, ascend, climb; (noun) adhesion (Kannada, DED 4034); Pattuni: to adhere, be joined (Tulu, DED 4034); cognates in 13 Dravidian languages
Bẹdda	(singular), Bẹdi: (plural) forest, wood, thicket, jungle (Sinhala, Clough); thicket, bushy place, jungle, "Vana lẹhẹba" (Sinhala, Sorata); etymology uncertain, probably, Etymology 1: related to Pattai: thicket, bushes, low shrubbery, underwood, (spoken Eezham Tamil, see boxes on Paṟṟai and Pattai); Pattam: mass, heap, collection (Tamil, MTL, Paṭṭiṉattup Piḷḷaiyār Kōyiṟ Tiruvantāti, 2); through Ṟ/ T change; Paṟṟam: collection, mass as of hair, crowd, multitude (Tamil, MTL, see box on Paṟṟai); Paṟṟu: (verb) to grasp, seize, adhere to, become joined to; (noun) adherence (Tamil, DED 4034); Partu, Pattu: (verb) to stick to adhere, be united, join, ascend, climb; (noun) adhesion (Kannada, DED 4034); Pattuni: to adhere, be joined (Tulu, DED 4034); cognates in 13 Dravidian languages; Etymology 2: probably related to Vadala, Vadula: natural arbour or bower, place over grown with creepers, "Gasvẹlgāla, Koḷa ādiya gahana va muvaha vū tẹna" (Sinhala, Clough, Sorata, see column 454); Etymology 3: probably related to Pańdura: bush, shrub in general, thicket (Sinhala, Clough, see column 454); Etymology 4: probably related to Poda: bush, thicket, shrub (Telugu, DED 4509); Pude: bush, thicket (Kannada, DED 4509); Ponta: thicket overgrown with grass (Malayalam, DED 4509); Potai: bush (Tamil, DED 4509); Potumpu: grove, shrubby jungle (Tamil, DED 4509; Naṟṟiṇai, 195: 3); Putai, Poti: (verb) to cover, conceal (Tamil, DED 4509); Etymology 5: probably related to Patukkai: thicket, bushes, low jungle (Tamil, MTL, Kainnilai, 13; Piṅkalam, 3775); Patukku, Patuṅku: (verb) to hide (Tamil, DED 3912); Etymology 6: probably related to Pāḍi: an underwood, a small forest (Tulu, DED 4063);
Īccil	also Īñcil, Īccam: from Īñcu: also Īntu: dwarf wild date palm, Phoenix farinifera; wild date palm, Phoenix sylvestris; date palm, Phoenix dactylifera (Tamil, DED 2617, Naṟṟiṇai, 2: 2; Campantar Tēvāram, 2: 110: 4); Īcilû, Īñcilû: wild date palm (Tulu, DED 2617); Īcal, Īcala, Īcale, Īcil: wild date tree (Kannada, DED 2617); cognates in 13 Dravidian languages; note the Ñ/ C/ T/ D changes; see box on Indi; etymology probably related to the pointed arrow-like leaves or feather-like leaves of the palm: Ī, Īr: wing (Tamil, DED 534); Īr, Īrkku, Īrkkil: mid rib of the leaves of the palm variety (Tamil, DED 544); Īḻ, Īrkkil, Īkkil: mid rib of any palm leaf (Malayalam, DED 544); Īr: (verb) to split, saw (Tamil, Kuṟuntokai, 11: 1: Naṟṟiṇai, 133: 1-2; Malayalam, DED 542); Īr: (noun) two (Tamil, DED 474); Īya, Hī: arrow (Sinhala, Clough). See box on Īndi
Indi	date palm, Phoenix zeylanica (Sinhala, Clough); Intu: dwarf wild date palm (Eezham Tamil place names, as in Intaṉ, Intaṉai; see column 66); Īntu, Īñcu: dwarf wild date palm, Phoenix farinifera; wild date palm, Phoenix sylvestris; date palm, Phoenix dactylifera (Tamil, DED 2617, Naṟṟiṇai, 2: 2; Campantar Tēvāram, 2: 110: 4); Īntal: dwarf wild date palm, Phoenix farinifera (Malayalam, DED 2617); Ītta: date palm, Phoenix dactylifera (Malayalam, DED 2617); Īndû: sago palm, Caryota urens (Tulu, DED 2617); Īdu: wild date palm (Tulu, DED 2617); Īta, Īdu: wild date palm (Telugu, DED 2617); Īndi: wild date palm, Phoenix acaulis (Gondi, DED 2617); Sindi: wild date palm (Gadba, Kuwi, DED 2617); Sīndi: date palm (Gadba, DED 2617); Hīndi: wild date palm (Gondi, Pengo, DED 2617); cognates in 13 Dravidian languages; Sindī: date palm (Prakrit, DED cites Savara); Hintāla: marshy date tree, phoenix paludosa (Sanskrit, CDIAL 14093), See box on Īccil for further etymology
Gama	village (Sinhala, see column 36)

Paṟṟai/ Pattai in Tamil means a thicket or a bushy jungle. This is especially an Eezham Tamil usage today. There are related nouns such as Paṟṟam and Pattam in old Tamil, meaning collection, crowd, heap, multitude, cluster etc., and the etymology could be traced to the verb Paṟṟu meaning to grasp, adhere or to become joined.

The term Bẹdda in Sinhala, coming in many place names, means a thicket, jungle or a bushy place. The etymology is uncertain. It may be related to Pattai or it may have come from another etymon. The etymological possibilities are listed in the box above.

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Īñcu, Īñcil and Īccam in Tamil and in many Eezham Tamil place names; Īntu in old Tamil; Intu in a few Eezham Tamil place names; and Indi in Sinhala and in Sinhala place names, mean the date palm, especially the dwarf wild species of the date palm that is commonly seen in the arid and sandy tracts of the island. The terms, finding cognates in 13 Dravidian languages, are listed as Dravidian. The etymology seems to be related to the root Ī, and to the leaves of the palm (see the boxes above and the old Tamil usage examples below).

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The jungle of Īntu: 

"ஒலி வல் ஈந்தின் உலவை அம் காடு" (நற்றிணை, 2: 2)

"Oli val īntiṉ ulavai am kāṭu" (Naṟṟiṇai, 2: 2)

The forest fanned by the date palms of dense foliage


Īntu as the dwarf wild species of date palm: 

"ஈந்து இலைக் குப்பை ஏறி உமணர் உப்பு ஊய் ஒழுகை" (புறநானூறு, 116: 7-8)

"Īntu ilaik kuppai ēṟi umaṇar uppu ūy oḻukai" (Puṟanāṉūṟu, 116: 7-8)

The caravan line, carrying salt of the salt merchants, rolling on the bushy-heap foliage of the Īntu palms


"கற்றை ஈந்தின் முற்றுக்குலை அன்ன" (நற்றிணை, 174: 1)

"Kaṟṟai īntiṉ muṟṟukkulai aṉṉa" (Naṟṟiṇai, 174: 1)

Like the matured fruit bunches of the tuft-growing Īntu


Leaves of Īntu compared to spines of porcupine: 

ஈந்து இலை வேய்ந்த எய்ப்புறக் குரம்பை" (பெரும்பாணாற்றுப்படை, 88)

Īntu ilai vēynta eyppuṟak kurampai" (Perumpāṇāṟṟuppaṭai, 88)

The roofs of huts thatched with the leaves of Īntu, looking like the spiny back of a porcupine


On the fruits of Īntu: 

"பைங்காய் நல் இடம் ஒரீஇய செங்காய்க் கருங்களி ஈந்து" (நற்றிணை, 126: 1-2)

"Paiṅkāy nal iṭam orīiya ceṅkāyk karuṅkaḷi īntu" (Naṟṟiṇai, 126: 1-2)

The green fruits of Īntu, which turn into red fruits and then ripe into black


The word-form Īñcu: 

"இலவம் ஞாழலும் ஈஞ்சொடு சுரபுன்னை (சம்பந்தர் தேவாரம், 2: 110: 4)

"Ilavam ñāḻalum īñcoṭu curapuṉṉai (Campantar Tēvāram, 2: 110: 4)

Ilavu, Ñāḻal, Īñcu and Curapuṉṉai [Īñcu is listed among the trees of the coastal tract]

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Īccilam-paṟṟai, also called Īccilam-pattai, is a place and headquarters of the Verukal division in Trincomalee district.

Ińdi-bẹdda is in Moratuwa division of Colombo district.

Bẹddē-gama as a place name is found in Panvila division of Kandy district; Kobeigane division of Kurunegala district; Panduwasnuwara East division of Kurunegala district and in Hali-Ela division of Badulla district.

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Some related place names:

Paṟṟai/ Pattai:

Āraip-paṟṟai: Manmunaippattu, Batticaloa

Āraip-pattaich-cēṉai: Moothoor, Trincomalee

Puḷiyam-pattai: Alaiyadivempu, Amparai

Veḷḷiyam-pattai: Aḷaveṭṭi, Valikamam North, Jaffna (Balasundaram, p. 189). Veḷḷil: wood apple

Kallam-pattai: Kuchchaveli, Trincomalee; Moothoor, Trincomalee

Kaḷḷiya-pattai: Pottuvil, Amparai

Kurum-pattai: Kōppāy, Valikamam East, Jaffna (Balasundaram, p. 252). Kurumpai: a stem-less plant, Bowstring Hemp, Sansevieria zeylanica (Tamil, DED 1792)

Pirām-pattai: also Parām-pattai: Caṅkāṉai, Valikamam West, Jaffna (V. Almanac, p. 99)

Pattā-vattai: Iḷavālai, Valikamam North, Jaffna

Poṟpattai: Vadamaradchi Northeast, Jaffna. Poṟpattai: a plant of golden flowers, commonly found in thickets; also called Varitulai and Kākkaippālai in Tamil, Lanceolatum Willd.

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Bẹdda as suffix:

Kaṭu-bẹdda: Moratuwa, Colombo

Samana-bẹdda: Dompe, Gampaha. Saman: the deity Sumana, generic name of jasmine (see column 6)

Dib-bẹdda: Panadura, Kalutara

Baṁbara-bẹdda: Udadumbara, Kandy

Mẹda-bẹdda: Galewela, Matale; Balangoda, Ratnapura

Ẹńdiri-bẹdda: Hanguranketha, Nuwara Eliya. Ẹńdiri: dark, darkness (Sinhala, clough)

Dunukē-bẹdda: Hanguranketha, Nuwara Eliya. Dunukē: screw pine

Mora-bẹdda: Walapane, Nuwara Eliya

Haras-bẹdda: Walapane, Nuwara Eliya. Haras: lying across, intervening; (adjective) cross, transverse (Sinhala, Clough); Kuṟukku: transverseness, hindrance (Tamil, MTL); Kuṟai: (verb) to cut (Tamil, DED 1859, also 1851)

Ẹl-bẹdda: Nuwara Eliya, Nuwara Eliya

Karuvala-bẹdda: Gonapeenuwala, Galle

Yāka-bẹdda: Akuressa, Matara. Probably Yaka-bẹdda

Egoḍa-bẹdda: Walasmulla, Hambantota

Pissu-bẹdda: Walasmulla, Hambantota

Kande-bẹdda: Okewela, Hambantota

Pollē-bẹdda: Mahaoya, Ampara. Pollệ: a high ground situated in the middle of a paddy field, "Kuṁburu mẹda pihiṭi us iḍama" (Sinhala, Clough, Sorata)

Bokka-bẹdda: Uhana, Ampara

Baḍa-bẹdda: Pannala, Kurunegala

Karuvala-bẹdda: Mahakumbukkadawala, Puttalam

Kańdu-bẹdda: Rideemaliyadda, Badulla

Nikē-bẹdda: Passara, Badulla

Mīriya-bẹdda: Passara, Badulla. Mīriya, Mīhiriya: a large tree, Dichopsis grandis of the Sapotaceae family that yields seeds from which oil similar to Mī (Iluppai) tree is extracted (Sinhala, Clough)

Vẹva-bẹdda: Lunugala, Badulla

Milla-bẹdda: Lunugala, Badulla

Koṭṭal-bẹdda: Lunugala, Badulla. May be related to Koṭṭa: dried (Clough); or trees having the name Koṭṭa/ Koṭṭam; or probably from Koṭṭal-badu: "Navām dannā aya hō ovun sambandhakriyākāri maṇḍalaya" (Sinhala, Sorata cites Codrington)

Tel-bẹdda: Badulla, Badulla

Inikam-bẹdda: Bandarawela, Badulla

Nāya-bẹdda: Bandarawela, Badulla. Nāya: "Tadavẹssa nisā kańduvalin kẹḍī vẹṭena galpastaṭṭuva" (Sinhla, Sorata)

Nīlava-bẹdda: Madulla, Moneragala. Nīlā: indigo

Samanaḷa-bẹdda: Siyambalanduwa, Moneragala. Samanala: abode of the deity Sumana; Samanalayā: butterfly (see column 6)

Pallē-bẹdda: Embilipitiya, Ratnapura.

Nāraň-bẹdda: Rambukkana, Kegalle

Piṭa-bẹddara: Matara, Matara

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Bẹdda in prefix:

Bẹddē-gam-mẹdda: Devinuwara, Matara

Bẹdde-vẹva: Sooriyawewa, Hambantota

Bẹddē-kuṁbura: Bandarawela, Badulla

Bẹdde-arāva: Bandarawela, Badulla

Bẹdde-vela: Ella, Badulla

De-bẹddē-kivula: Moneragala, Moneragala

Bẹdda-vela: Rambukkana, Kegalle

* * *

Īñcu:

Īcca-mōṭṭai: Jaffna city, Jaffna

Īcca-muṉai: Puṅkuṭutīvu, Kayts, Jaffna (Delft OIS)

Īncaṭi: Cutumalai, Valikamam Southwest, Jaffna (Balasundaram, p. 165). Īñcu+aṭi

Īccam-pulam: Vēlaṇai West, Kayts, Jaffna (Balasundaram, p. 157)

Īccan-taravai: Maṇṭaitīvu Centre, Kayts, Jaffna (Balasundaram, p. 155)

Īccan-tīvu: Kinniya, Trincomalee

Īccam-piṭṭi: Chilaw, Puttalam

* * *

Intu: (Eezham Tamil place names)

Intaṉ: Kayts Island, Kayts, Jaffna. Intu+aṉ; see column 66

Intaṉai: a locality in Vacantapuram, Iḷavālai, Valikamam North, Jaffna (Rajaratnam). Intu+taṉai; see column 55

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Ińdi:

Ińdi-bẹdda: Moratuwa, Colombo

Ińdi-parapē: Mirigama, Gampaha

Ińdi-viṭiya: Ja-Ela, Gampaha

Ińdi-minna: Jā-Ela, Gampaha

Ińdi-golla: Gampaha, Gampaha; Polpithigama, Kurunegala

Ińdi-gas-tuḍuva: Mathugama, Kalutara

Ińdi-palē-goḍa: Elpitiya, Galle

Ińdi-gẹṭa-vela: Angunukolapelessa, Hambantota

Ińdi-kẹṭiya-goḍa: Beliatta, Hambantota

Ińdi-pokuṇa-goḍa: Tangalle, Hambantota

Ińdi-vinna: Pannala, Kurunegala

Ińdi-gas-vila: Madampe, Puttalam

Ińdi-gas-ẹlla: Siyambalanduwa, Moneragala

Ińdi-kola-pẹlẹssa: Sevanagala, Moneragala

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Revised: Tuesday, 05 December 2017, 18:30

First published: Sunday, 27 March 2011, 22:50