Know the Etymology: 240
Place Name of the Day: Monday, 01 April 2013

Maa-eliya, Patti-eliya, Pul-eliya, Kala-eliya

மா எலிய, பட்டி எலிய, புல் எலிய, கல எலிய
Mā Eliya, Paṭṭi Eliya, Pul Eliya, Kala Eliya

Maa+eliya
Patti+eliya
Pul+eliya
Kala+eliya

The big open space or plain
The open land to graze cattle
The open grassland
The open space serving as threshing floor

Maa	(adjective) Great, large (Sinhala); Mahaa: (adjective) Great, large (Sinhala); Mahaa: (in compounds) Great (Sanskrit, Prakrits, CDIAL 9937); Maa: Great (Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, DED 4786); Maal: Great, great man (Tamil, DED 4786)
Eliya	(singular) Light, open space, plain (Sinhala); Eli (noun) Plural of Eliya, also a light; (adjective) Public, open (Sinhala); Eli-paana: Daylight (Sinhala); Elilee: Light red, copper coloured (Sinhala); Eli-wenawaa: (verb) To dawn, to become light (Sinhala); Eli-kara’nawaa: (verb) To clear the ground from jungle (Sinhala); Æli: White (Sinhala); El: Lustre, splendour, light, the sun, daytime (Tamil, DED 829); Lustre, splendour, light (Malayalam, DED 829); Elli, Ellai: The sun, daytime (Tamil, DED 829); Ella: Light (Malayalam, DED 829); Ali: Light, clarity, brightness, vision (Dhivehi/ Maldivian); Day, daytime (Old Dhivehi)
Patti	Also Pattiya: Stall for cattle, crib, herd of cattle, (Sinhala); Paddi: Cow-stall, sheepfold, hamlet, village (Tamil, DED 3868); Patti: Fold for cattle or sheep (Malayalam, DED 3868); Cattle-pen or fold, abode, hamlet (Kannada, DED 3868); related to Pa’l’li, D > L interchange (DED 4018). See columns on Paddik-kudiyiruppu, Pachchilaip-pa’l’li
Pul	Common term for grass (Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Kota, Toda, with cognates in other Dravidian languages, DED 4300); Generic term for all plants of the grass family, such as palmyra palm, coconut palm, arecanut palm, bamboo etc. (Tamil, Tholkaappiyam, DED 4300); Pol: Coconut palm as well as some types of grasses (Sinhala). See columns on Pol-golla and Eezham
Kala	Threshing floor (Sinhala); Kala-madala: Threshing floor (Sinhala); Ka’lam: Place, site, open space, threshing floor, battlefield (Tamil, DED 1376); Cognates, with threshing floor being one of the meanings are found in Malayalam, Kota, Kannada, Kodagu, Telugu, Kolami, Naikri, Parji, Gadba, Gondi, Konda, Kui, Kuwi and Kurux (DED 1376); Khala: Threshing floor, granary, place, site (Sanskrit, CDIAL 3834)

Eliya is a popular component found in Sinhala place names.

The word means an open wet patana or grassland in the context of place names (Madduma Bandara 2009).

Sinhala dictionaries come out with three meanings for the word Eliya: Light, open space and plain.

One could see that the meanings of the Sinhala term are interconnected. Light is the basic meaning and an open space or plain is a place of light.

A similar feature could also be noticed in Tamil terms such as Ve’l (white, bright, dawn) > Ve’lichcham (light) > Ve’li (open space), and Vedi/ Vidi (to dawn) > Veddam (light) > Veddai (open space).

* * *

In Sinhala, the plural form of the word Eliya is Eli. The plural form gives meanings in addition to light, open space and plain: as a noun it also means a special kind of light and as an adjective it means anything becoming open or public.

In Sinhala word combinations Eli is connected to dawn, copper coloured light, daylight, to become light and to clearing a jungle to make the ground open (see table for the phrases).

The Sinhala word Eli/ Eliya is connected to the old Tamil word El, which basically means light, the sun, daylight and daytime.

The Tamil word El that has cognates in Malayalam, Telugu and perhaps Kannada (as in the word Yel-ammaa), is taken as a word of Dravidian etymology (DED 829). A cognate Ali, meaning light, daytime etc., is found in Dhivehi/ Maldivian too.

In some instances of old Tamil the word El is also used in the sense of becoming open or public (see examples below).

But in language formation, Sinhalese has acquired a geographic or toponymic shade of meaning too for Eli/ Eliya coming from the shared morpheme. Tamil has not used the morpheme El to coin words for the geographic feature of open space. The word is also lost in modern Tamil.

Eliya is just one example for the shared substratum and parallel development of Tamil and Sinhala.

In the study of Sinhala place names in the island, often there is a view that treats elements found in them comparable to Tamil or Dravidian as ‘later’ influences coming through ‘invaders and migrants’. But a serious scrutiny of what is considered as ‘originally’ Sinhala in most of the Sinhala place names is likely to bring in a different understanding of the phenomenon.

* * *


El meaning light, sunlight, the sun and anything becoming public:

“El, o’li, veyyil enal” (Pingkala Nika’ndu 2:121)

“எல், ஒளி, வெய்யில் எனல்” (பிங்கல நிகண்டு 2:121)

El means light and sunlight


“Aadu mazhai thavirkkum payam kezhu meemisai el padu pozhuthin” (Pu’ra:naanoo’ru 157: 8-9)

“ஆடு மழை தவிர்க்கும் பயம் கெழு மீமிசை எல் படு பொழுதின்” (புறநானூறு 157: 8-9)

At the top of the productive hill that stops the moving clouds and during the time when the sun sets


“I’lai iru’l paranthathuvea el cheyvaan ma’rainthananea” (Chilappathikaaram 7:40)

“இளை இருள் பரந்ததுவே எல் செய்வான் மறைந்தனனே (சிலப்பதிகாரம் 7:40)

The sun went down and the mild darkness sprawled


“Nam oor el virunthu aakip poakukam naamea” (Aingku’runoo’ru 396)

“நம் ஊர் எல் விருந்து ஆகிப் போகுகம் நாமே” (ஐங்குறுநூறு 396)

Let us enter our village (in public) as guests of the daytime, or let us enter our village in the daytime (in public) as new arrivals [said the young man who was eloping with the girl from her village and was entering his village]


Elli meaning daytime, the sun:

“Elliyum iravum ennaathu” (Natti’nai 163:2-3)

“எல்லியும் இரவும் என்னாது” (நற்றிணை 163:2-3)

Not caring whether day or night


“..Elli.. chooriyan peyarea” (Pingkala Nika’ndu 2:118)

“..எல்லி.. சூரியன் பெயரே” (பிங்கல நிகண்டு 2:118)

Elli is the name for the sun


Ellai meaning daytime, the sun:

“Ellaa ellai ellavum thoan’raar” (Ku’runthokai 285:2)

“எல்லா எல்லை எல்லவும் தோன்றார்” (குறுந்தொகை 285:2)

He is not coming even when the depletion-less daylight loses light


“Vaanamum nammea poalum mammarththu aaki ellai kazhiyap pullen’ran'rea” (Ku’runthokai 310: 2-4)

“வானமும் நம்மே போலும் மம்மர்த்து ஆகி எல்லை கழியப் புல்லென்றன்றே” (குறுந்தொகை 310: 2-4)

Perhaps the sky is also like us; suffering. With the sun going it lost lustre [said the girl on missing her lover].


Ellu meaning sunlight, daytime:

“Koavalar ellup peyal uzhantha pal aan niraiyodu” (Akanaa:noo’ru 264: 4-5)

கோவலர் எல்லுப் பெயல் உழந்த பல் ஆன் நிரையொடு (அகநானூறு 264: 4-5)

The cowherds with their multitude of cattle that lolled in the pour of sunlight (all through the day)

* * *

Kala in Sinhala means a threshing floor.

Related phrases Kala-madala (Madala: Ma’ndala) and Kala-vita (Vita: hill or high ground) also mean a threshing floor in Sinhala.

The cognate in Tamil is the word Ka’lam, which also means a threshing floor, in addition to the meanings, place, site, open space, battlefield etc.

Having cognates in 15 Dravidian languages, Ka’lam (along with the meaning threshing floor) is taken as a word of Dravidian etymology by the Dravidian Etymological Dictionary (DED 1376).

However, the Sanskrit diction also has a cognate Khala, with shades of meanings similar to Ka’lam. Found in the diction of Rig Veda, Khala has an entry in the Comparative Dictionary of Indo Aryan Languages (CDIAL 3834)

* * *

Ka’lamar meaning cultivators of paddy/ people who thresh paddy:

“Veangkai ka’n’niyar eruthu ea’ri ka’lamar nilam ka’ndanna akan ka’n paasa’rai men thinai nedum poar purimaar” (Natti’nai 125:9-11)

“வேங்கை கண்ணியர் எருது ஏறி களமர் நிலம் கண்டன்ன அகன் கண் பாசறை மென் தினை நெடும் போர் புரிமார்” (நற்றிணை 125:9-11)

Similar to the threshing floor of the paddy-field tract people who drive oxen (to thresh), the (hill tribe) who are donned with garlands of Veangkai flower, heap high the (reaped sheaves) of the delicate fox millet on the wide rocky space (to thresh)


Ka’lam, meaning threshing floor:

“Koo’rai vilaiyaaka ka’laththilea koo’riddu ko’lvathu” (Tamil inscription c. 1000 CE, Epigraphia Indica xxxiii, 33)

கூறை விலையாக களத்திலே கூறிட்டு கொள்வது (Tamil inscription c. 1000 CE, Epigraphia Indica xxxiii, 33)

Let the shareholders (of the land) share (the produce) in the threshing floor


“Kaaval uzhavar ka’laththu akaththu poar ea’ri” (Muththo’laayiram 831)

காவல் உழவர் களத்து அகத்து போர் ஏறி (முத்தொளாயிரம் 831)

The guarding cultivators climb the heap of paddy in the threshing floor

* * *

Many places in the island have the name Maa-eliya. Two of them that are in the official list of villages are in Ja-Ela division, Gampaha district and in Polpithigama division, Kurunegala district. The original Sinhala name of today’s Horton Plains also was Maa-eliya (Madduma Bandara, 2009)

Patti-eliya is a village name Panadura division, Kalutara district.

Pul-eliya is found as a village name in Medawachchiya division, Anuradhapura district. The place name is another example for the mixture of Tamil and Sinhala usages in certain contexts.

Kala-eliya is a village in Ja-Ela division of Gampaha district

* * *

Some related place names:

Eliya:

Nuwara-eliya: The town-plains (the town in the open space or grassland); Town and district headquarters, Nuwara Eliya district, Central Province

Seetha-eliya: The cool plains; Nuwara Eliya division, Nuwara Eliya district

Saman-eliya: The plains of the deity Saman; Kothmale division, Nuwara Eliya district

Haawaa-eliya: The plains or grassland of rabbits; Nuwara Eliya division, Nuwara Eliya district

Ruwan-eliya: The golden plains; Nuwara Eliya division, Nuwara Eliya district

Kiriwan-eliya: The plains of the jungle of Kiri plant; Ambagamuwa division, Nuwara Eliya district

Walgam-eliya: The open space of the jungle village; Tangalle division, Hambantota district

Eliya-kanda: The hill in the plains: Matara Four Gravets division, Matara district

Mola-eliya: Probably, Moala-eliya: The open space having a rice mill; Bingriya division, Kurunegala district. Moala: Mill (Sinhala, from Dutch, Clough)

Mangala-eliya: The auspicious open space; Munthal division, Puththa’lam district

Mahaa-maa-eliya: The great, big, open space: Arachchikattuwa division, Puththa’lam district

Eliya-divul-wewa: The tank of wood-apple trees in the plains; Thalawa division, Anuradhapura district

Gal-eliya: The stony open space; Dimbulagala division, Polonnaruwa district

We-eliya: The plains of cane (rattan) creepers; Himadulla division, Badulla district

* * *

Kala (Sinhala):

Kala-paa’luwawa: The unproductive land serving as threshing floor or the abandoned threshing floor; Kaduwela division, Colombo district

Ettu-kala: Probably Ættu-kala: The threshing floor where elephants do the job; Negombo division, Gampaha district. Æta: (singular); Ættu (plural and word compounds): Elephant (Sinhala)

Yak-kala: The open space or threshing floor of devils; Ganpaha division, Gampaha district

Ella-kala: The threshing floor adjacent to the waterfall/ rapid/ rivulet; Attanagala division, Gampaha district

Weli-kala: The sandy threshing floor; Millania division Kalutara diastrict

Kala-mulla: The threshing floor corner: Kalutara division, Kalutara district

Kala-pitiya: The plain or high ground used for threshing; Kothmale division, Nuwara Eliya district

Kalal-pitiya: Probably the same as Kala-pitiya: The plain or high ground used for threshing; Ukuwela division, Matale district

Kalatuwa-gama: The village of the threshing floor; Ganewatta division, Kurunegala district

Kalattuwa-pælessa: The raised platform for watching fields at the threshing floor; Kurunegala division, Kurunegala district. Pæla: Raised platform used when watching the rice fields (Sinhala)

Kalatuwa-kanda: The hill at the threshing floor; Weligepola division, Ratnapura district

Mahaa-kalattewa: The big threshing floor; N.Palatha East division, Anuradhapura district

Kala-medawachchiya: The threshing floor part of Medawachchiya; Galnewa division, Anuradhapura district. The place name differentiates it from another Medawachchiya

Yata-kalana: The threshing floor at the bottom or at a lower place; Mahawewa division, Puththa’lam district

Keta-kala-pitiya: The plain or high ground that is threshing floor of the paddy field; Mirigama division, Gampaha district. Keta: Field (Sinhala); Keaththiram: Paddy field (Tamil, literary); Keadaara: Irrigated field, (Pali, CDIAL, 3463); Kshetra: Landed property, land, house, field place, plot etc., (Sanskrit, CDIAL 3735); Khetta: Field (Pali, CDIAL 3735)

Ka’lam (Tamil):

Ka’la-vaddai: The threshing floor part of the cultivation land; Poaratheevupattu division, Batticaloa district

Ka’la-veddith-thidal: The open high ground serving as threshing floor; Ka’ndaava’lai division, Ki’linochchi district

Ka’la-poomi: The threshing floor or the battlefield; Kaarainakar division, Jaffna district. The place is a high ground adjacent to a big stretch of paddy fields

Oorik-ka’la-poomi: The threshing floor in a shelly terrain; the shelly-terrain part of Ka’la-poomi; the settlement part of the threshing floor; Kaarainakar division, Jaffna district. Oori: marine shells of a particular kind (Tamil, from Oor meaning moving slow like snails etc, DED 749); Oori: from Oor: village (Tamil, DED 752). Note another place name Maa-paa’na-oori in Kaarainakar and Nakar becoming Nakari in Poo-nakari

* * *

Pul (in Tamil and Sinhala place names):

Pullu-hena: The grassland that is used for shifting cultivation; Wattala division, Gampaha district

Pulluk-ku’lam: The grassy pond or the pond of reeds; the toponym is found in several places. An example could be found in Jaffna city.

Katpoorap-pullu: (The place where) the grass smelling camphor (is found); Karaithu’raippattu division, Mullaiththeevu district

Pullu-malai: The grass hill; Ea’raavoor-pattu division, Batticaloa district

Maaddup-pul-thoaddam: The garden to collect grass fodder for cattle; Koara’laippattu division, Battivcaloa district

Pul-moaddai: The grass pond: Kuchchave’li division, Trincomalee district

Naa’nal-pul-meadu: The high ground of Naa’nal reed; Ki’n’niyaa division, Trincomalee district

Pullaa-ve’li: The grass expanse; Pachchilaippa’l’li division, Ki’linochchi district

First published: Monday, 01 April 2013, 07:15