Know the Etymology: 270
Place Name of the Day: Friday, 02 August 2013

Olagama

ஒலக₃ம
Olagama

Ola+gama

Place of refuge or concealment from enemies or disease

Olagama

Place of refuge or concealment from enemies or disease (Sinhala); O’li: (verb) To hide, conceal, disguise; (noun) Hiding, lurking place, screen (Tamil, DED 1015); O’livu: Place of concealment (Tamil, DED 1015); O’li: Concealment, ambush (Malayalam, DED 1015); to hide (Kodagu, DED 1015); U’li: Hiding, ambush, lurking place (Kannada, DED 1015); O’la: Secret (Tulu, DED 1015); Oalamu: A shelter, cover, screen (Telugu, DED 1015); Oalaa: Resting place of a wild beast, hiding place or lair (Kurux, DED 1015)

The term Olagama in Sinhala has two components Ola and Gama. But as a single phrase it means a place of refuge or concealment from enemies or disease.

As Gama means a village, the prefix Ola must be the component that gives the meaning refuge or concealment.

Ola in this sense of meaning corresponds to O’li in Tamil, which as a verb means to hide or conceal and as a noun means hiding or a lurking place. The Tamil cognate is taken as a word of Dravidian etymology (DED 1015).

O’li means concealment in Malayalam (DED 1015).

Other Dravidian cognates of the Sinhala component Ola are Oalaa in Kurux meaning a hiding place, lair or a resting place of a wild beast; Oalamu in Telugu, meaning a shelter, cover etc., and U’li in Kannada meaning hiding or a lurking place (DED 1015).

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Olagama is a village in the Rideegama division of Kurunegala district.

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Some related place names:

Ihak-olagama: The place of refuge in the forefront; Nikaweratiya division, Kurunegala district. By the prefix Iha, the name differentiates the place from the other Olagama in the same district. Iha, Isa: Head (Sinhala); Ihata: Preceding, foregoing, above (Sinhala); Uka: To ascend, rise stately, soar upward (Tamil, DED 559); Ukappu: Height, elevation (Tamil, DED 559)

Olagan-duwa: The islet or water surrounded place to take refuge; Bentota division, Galle district

Olagan-kanda: The hill Kegalle division, Kegalle district

First published: Friday, 02 August 2013, 04:10