Know the Etymology: 278
Place Name of the Day: Tuesday, 27 August 2013

Pothuwa-gonna, Divul-gane

பொ[த்]துவ கொ₃ன்ன
திவுல் க₃னெ
Potuvagonna
Divulgane

Pothuwa+gonna
Divul+gane

The grassland forest/ The grass corner.
The wood-apple jungle/ The corner of wood-apple trees.

Gonna 1	A corner place, a space in one angle or a space at the edge of an area that is marked by the presence of something, equivalent to the toponymic use of the word corner in English (Sinhala, usage in some place names); Kona: (singular); Kon (plural): End, corner, angle (Sinhala); Go’na: Nose (Sinhala); Konai: Tip, end (Tamil, DED 2174); Kone: Extremity, point, tip, end, corner, sprout (Kannada, DED 2174); Point, end, extremity (Tulu, DED 2174); Kona: End, extremity, point, tip, summit (Telugu, DED 2174); Pointed end (Konda, DED 2174); Koa’nam: Curve, curvature, scimitar, angle, corner, (Tamil, DED 2209); from the root Koa'n; Crookedness, angle (Tamil, DED 2209); Ko'na: Corner, angle, point of the compass, (Sanskrit, CDIAL 3504). See column on Maru-kona, Koa’naa-va’lai
Gonna 2	A forest ecosystem (Sinhala, Madduma Bandara, 2009); Gahana: Deep, dense (Sanskrit, CDIAL 4107); Thick jungle (Pali, CDIAL 4107); Kaanana: Forest (Sanskrit CDIAL 3028); Kaa, Kaan, Kaanam, Kaanal, Kaanakam: Forest (Tamil, DED 1418);
Gonna 3	A tree, Poruwa-malla or Wal-mædiriya, Diospyros insignis (Sinhala);
Gane 1	Jungle, wood, cluster of trees (Sinhala, in the context of some place names); Ga’na: multitude (Sinhala); Troop, flock (Sanskrit, Prakrit, Pali, CDIAL 3988); Gahana: Deep, dense (Sanskrit, CDIAL 4107); Thick jungle (Pali, CDIAL 4107); Kaanana: Forest (Sanskrit CDIAL 3028); Kaa, Kaan, Kaanam, Kaanal, Kaanakam: Forest (Tamil, DED 1418)
Gane 2	Corner (Sinhala, in the context of some place names). See Gonna 1 in the box above for etymology
Potu	1. Species of rush, reed, grass etc. (Sinhala, place names); Potu-kola, Potu-pan: Species of rush used in making coarse mats, Scleria oryzoides (Sinhala); Patana: open grassland, glade, small hill covered with grass or low shrub (Sinhala); Poththaanai: Grassland (Eezham Tamil, Batticaloa); Puthal, Puthar: Bush, low-jungle, grass (Tamil, DED 4509); Patham: Tender grass (Tamil, DED 3907); Potu: 2. Plural of Potta: Bark, husk, shell (Sinhala); Puthai, Pothi, Poththu: (verb) To cover, bury, conceal (Tamil, DED 4509); Poththi: Garment of fibres, cloth (Tamil, DED 4515); Cloth (Kannada, DED 4515); Bark (Telugu, DED 4515)
Divul	Also Jool-gaha, Jool-gediya: Wood apple, Feronia elephantum (Sinhala); Jeevalaa: A tree, Odina wodier (Sanskrit, CDIAL 5248);

Gonna is a component found in the Sinhala place names. There is no toponymically relevant dictionary meaning for the component. However, the context of its usage in the Sinhala place names suggests that it has something to do with a jungle or cluster of trees.

In some place names the context also suggests that Gonna could mean a corner.

Geography Professor Madduma Bandara says Gonna stands for a forest eco system in Sinhala (Madduma Bandara 2009).

Gane is another component found in the Sinhala place names, which also seems to mean a jungle, wood, or a multitude of trees, when viewed in the context of some usage examples.

In certain other contexts, the component Gane seems to mean a corner.

In meaning a jungle or jungle eco system, both Gonna and Gane may be related to Kaan/ Kaanam, meaning a jungle or forest in Tamil/ Dravidian (DED 1418). Gane could also be probably traced to another cognate, Ga’na in Sinhala meaning a multitude, and meaning a troop or flock in Sanskrit/ Pali/ Prakrit (CDIAL 4107).

In meaning a corner, Gonna and Gane are related to Kona in Sinhala, meaning an end/ corner/ angle, which is a cognate of Konai in Tamil, Kone in Kannada and Kona in Telugu meaning the same (DED 2174). They are also related to Koa’nam in Tamil/ Dravidian (DED 2209) that has a cognate Ko’na in Sanskrit too (CDIAL 3504)

See earlier columns for etymological discussions on Pothu and Divul.

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Pothuwa-gonna is a place in Ganewatta division, Kurunegala district

Divul-gane is in Ehetuwewa division of Kurunegala district

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Some related place names:

Daa-gonna: The relic forest; or the relic corner; Divulapitiya division, Gampaha district

Kadira-gonna: The forest of Kadira trees; or the corner found with the cluster of Kadira trees; Balapitiya division, Galle district

Gonnawa: The forest/ cluster of trees; or the corner; Katupotha division, Kurunegala district

Theliya-gonna: Probably, the jungle of a kind of medicinal creeper Thæli-wæl; or the oil (mill) corner; Kurunegala division, Kurunegala district

Ella-gonna: The forest of the waterfall or rapid; or the waterfall/ rapid corner; Mawathagama division, Kurunegala district

Boka-gonna: The forest of the creek; or the creek corner; Bibile division, Moneragala district

Maa-gonna: The big forest/ cluster of trees; or the big corner; Beruwala division, Kalutara district


Pothu:

Pothu-arawa: The stream or river grown with reed; Kaduwela division, Colombo district

Gal-pothu-goda: The hill or bank covered by a rock surface; Dompe division, Gampaha district. Pothu here is related to Potha, meaning cover, range or expanse

Gal-pothu-kanda: The hill covered by a rock surface; Katuwana division, Hambantota district. Pothu here is related to Potha, meaning cover, range or expanse

Pothu-pitiya: The high ground or plain of reed or grass; Kalutara division, Kalutara district; Kalawana division, Ratnapura district

Pothu-vil: The reed-pond; Pothuvil division, Ampaa’rai district

Pothu-vila: The reed-pond; Beruwala division, Kalutara district; Polpithigama division, Kurunegala district; Ganewatta division, Kurunegala district; Madampe division, Puththa’lam district

Pothu-wewa: The reed tank; Mahawa division, Kurunegala district

Wel-pothu-wewa: The creeping reed tank or the creeper-covered tank; Kobeigane division, Kurunegala district


Gane as prefix:

Gane-goda: The jungle hill/ bank/ village; or the corner hill/ bank/ village; Padukka division, Gampaha district; Mirigama division, Gampaha district; Dompe division, Gampaha district; Hikkaduwa division, Galle district; Akmeemana division, Galle district; Ibbagamuwa division, Kurunegala district; Rideegama division, Kurunegala district; Narammala division, Kurunegala district; Polgahawela division, Kurunegala district; Eheliyagoda division, Ratnapura district;

Gane-pola: The open space in the jungle; or the open-space corner; Katana division, Gampaha district;

Gane-mulla: The jungle corner; Gampaha division, Gampaha district

Gane-gala: The rocky hill in the jungle; or the corner rock/ hill; Udadumbara division, Kandy district

Gane-gama: The jungle village; or the corner village; Kamburupitiya division, Matara district; Baddegama division, Galle district; Pelmadulla division, Ratnapura district

Gane-watta: The garden in the jungle; or the corner garden; Ganewatta division, Kurunegala district

Gane-kolaniya: Maspotha division, Kurunegala district

Gane-thenna: The high-ground flat land with jungle; or the high ground flat land in the corner; Mawanella division, Kegalle district Gane-palla: The bottom, low-lying land or ditch with jungle; Yatiyanthota division, Kagalle district

Gane-divul-wewa: The jungle part of Divul-wewa (wood-apple tank) settlement; or the Divul-wewa at the corner; Galgamuwa division, Kurunegala district


Gane as suffix:

Metiya-gane: The middle jungle; or the clayey corner; Warakapola division, Kegalle district; Narammala division, Kurunegala district

Boya-gane: The jungle or multitude of Bo trees; or the Bo-tree corner; Kurunegala division, Kurunegala district

Natha-gane: The jungle or multitude of of Naa trees; or the Naa-tree corner; Bamunukotuwa division, Kurunegala district

Mora-gane: The jungle or multitude of Mora trees; or the Mora-tree corner; Katupotha division; Kurunegala district

Kobei-gane: The jungle or multitude of Kobbæ trees; or the Kobbæ-tree corner; Kobeigane division, Kurunegala district. Kobbææ: A tree, Allophulus cobbe (Sinhala)

Naa-kola-gane: The jungle of Naa foliage; or the Naa-foliage corner; Ehetuwewa division, Kurunegala district

First published: Tuesday, 27 August 2013, 00:00