Know the Etymology: 284
Place Name of the Day: Tuesday, 09 May 2017

Raṁbuk-oluva, Hal-oḷuva, Daň-koḷuva, Murutōluva, Olu-pẹliyāva, Kańda-oḷuvāva

ரம்பு₃க் ஒலுவ, ஹல் ஒளுவ, த₃ங்கொளுவ, முரு[த்]தோலுவ, ஒலுபெ[æ]லியாவ, கந்த₃ ஒளுவாவ
Raṁbuk-oluva, Hal-oḷuva, Daň-koḷuva, Murutōluva, Olu-pẹliyāva, Kańda-oḷuvāva

Raṁbuk+oluva
Hal+oḷuva
Daň+koḷuva/ Daň+oḷuva
Muruta+ōluva/ Muruta+oluva
Olu+pẹliyāva
Kańda+oluvāva

The jungle or thicket of Raṁbuk cane

The forest of Hal trees

The forest of Daň trees

The forest of Muruta trees

The forest part

The hill forest or the hilltop

Oluva1	also Oḷuva, Olu, Ōlu, Hōlu: forest, jungle, thicket (meaning deducible from Sinhala place names); 1. Ulu: forest, thicket, "Vanaya, Lẹhẹba" (Sinhala, Sorata); Ulavai: grove, dense growth of trees (Tamil, DED 997; Piṅkalam, 9: 207); Oli: (verb) to shoot forth, be luxuriant (Tamil, DED 997); 2. Golu: bush, thicket, multitude; "Gulmaya, Lẹhẹba, Samūhaya" (Sinhala, Sorata); Sorata traces Golu to Golla: grove (Sinhala, Clough); Kollai: forest tract, grove (Tamil, MTL); 3. Ōlai, Ollai: grove, jungle, thicket, (meaning deducible from Eezham Tamil place names, etymology traceable to Cōlai, Tōlai or Kollai)
Oluva2	also Olu, Oḷu: head, "Hisa" (Sinhala, Clough, Sorata); Uḷai: head, hair of head, hair-knot on head, mane (Tamil, DED 701, Caṅkam diction, Puṟanāṉūṟu, 22: 21; Kuṟuntokai, 281: 3-4; Akanāṉūṟu, 107: 17; 102: 1)
Ōluva	variation of Oluva. See boxes on Oluva 1 and Oluva 2
Hōluva	variation of Ōluva and Oluva (H added in this case). See boxes on Oluva 1 and Oluva 2
Koḷuva	1. probably a conjunction form when a word like Daň comes in front of Oḷuva. See box on oluva; 2. from Golu: bush, thicket, multitude; "Gulmaya, Lẹhẹba, Samūhaya" (Sinhala, Sorata); Sorata traces Golu to Golla: grove (Sinhala, Clough); Kollai: forest tract, grove (Tamil, MTL);
Pẹliya	from Pẹḷi: part, "Bhāgaya, Koṭasa" (Sinhala, Sorata, appendix); 1. Paḷuva: the part cut off (Sinhala, Clough); Paḷu: knot, joint, joint in a bamboo (Sinhala, Clough); Paḷu-paḷanavā: (verb) to split (Sinhala, Clough); Pẹḷanavā: (verb) to split itself (Sinhala, Clough); Pẹḷi: cleft, split, rent (Sinhala, Clough); Piḷ: to burst open, divide (Tamil, DED 4194); Piḷa: (verb) to be split, divide (Tamil, DED 4194); Piḷavu: cleft, division (Tamil, DED 4194); 2. Pāl: part, portion, share, section, dividing (Tamil, DED 4097); division, part, portion (Kannada, DED 4097); Pālu: part, portion, division (Tulu, Telugu, DED 4097); Pāli: "Paṅktiya" (Sinhala, Sorata). See column 233 on Paḷāta
Raṁbuk	also Ramuk: a kind of cane resembling but more elegant than the sugarcane, Saccharum procerum (Sinhala, Clough); Karumpu: sugarcane (Tamil, DED 1288); Pirampu: cane, rattan, Calamus rotang (Tamil, DED 4175); Rambhā: plantain (Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit, Sinhala, CDIAL 10635)
Hal	also Sal: a tree peculiar to the island, Vateria acuminata, or Vateria indica (Sinhala, Clough); Śāla: a tree, Shorea robusta (Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit, CDIAL 12412)
Daň	from Dan: a tree of which there are several species, Hīn-dan, Mā-dan, Baḷu-dan; Eugenia cargophyllæa, or Syzygium cargophyllæa (Sinhala, Clough); Daṁba: = Jambu, Eugenia jambolana (Sinhala, Clough, J/ D interchange); Jambu: Eugenia jambolana (Sanskrit, Pali, CDIAL 5131)
Muruta	A timber tree, Lagerstroemia flos-reginæ, bearing a beautiful flower (Sinhala, Clough); Muruta-mal: 1. flower of Lagerstroemia flos-reginæ; 2. ruby called Padmarāga, "Padmarāga-māṇikyaya" (Sinhala, Clough, Sorata); Maṇi-murutu, Nīru-murutu: Lagerstroemia flos-reginæ (Malayalam, Deccan Herald, 7 May 2012); Maṇi-marutu, Cem-marutu, Pū-marutu, Nīr-marutu: Lagerstroemia flos-reginæ (Malayalam, R. Vasudevan Nayar, Controversial Drug Plants, 2004, p. 27); Pū-marutu: Lagerstroemia flos-reginæ (Tamil, MTL); Maruva: Lagerstroemia flos-reginæ (Kannada, DED 4721); Marva: Lagerstroemia flos-reginæ (Tulu, DED 4721); Marutu: Terminalia arjuna, Terminalia tomentosa (Tamil, DED 4718)
Kanda	hill, mountain, hillock, (Sinhala, Clough). See column 6

Oluva, Oḷuva, Olu, Ōlu and Hōlu coming in Sinhala place names seem to mean a forest, jungle or thicket, as deducible from the context of the place names (see the examples).

The terms seem to be toponymic variations of the Sinhala word Ulu/ Uluva, meaning a forest or thicket (Sorata). The term has a cognate Ulavai in old Tamil, meaning a grove or dense growth of trees, which is listed as Dravidian. Oli is the verb form of this term (DED 997). See column 109 on Ula/ Ulu. Also see box above on Oluva 1 for other etymological possibilities.

* * *

Ulavai meaning a grove or dense growth of trees in old Tamil:

“பொதும்பர் கோடரம் உலவை மரச் செறிவே” (பிங்கலம், 9: 207)

“Potumpar kōṭaram ulavai marac ceṟivē” (Piṅkalam, 9: 207)

Potumpar, Kōṭaram and Ulavai mean dense growth of trees




Oli as a verb in old Tamil, meaning to sprout luxuriantly:

“கயத்து இட்ட வித்து வறத்தின் சாவாது கழைக் கரும்பின் ஒலிக்குந்து” (புறநானூறு, 137: 5-6)

“Kayattu iṭṭa vittu vaṟattiṉ cāvātu kaḻaik karumpiṉ olikkuntu” (Puṟanāṉūṟu, 137: 5-6)

The seed that is sown in a watery pit will not die in drought but would sprout luxuriantly like a stout sugarcane

* * *

Oḷu/ Olu commonly means head in Sinhala. There is a possibility that in some place names like Kańda-oḷuvāva, Oḷu could also mean the head or top of a hill. In this meaning, the cognate in old Tamil/ Dravidian is Uḷai, meaning head, mane etc. (DED 701).

Uḷai meaning head, hair-knot, mane etc. in old Tamil:

“புல் உளைச் சிறார்” (அகநானூறு, 107: 17)

“Pul uḷaic ciṟār” (Akanāṉūṟu, 107: 17)

Children of small hair-knot


“அலங்கு உளைய பனை” (புறநானூறு, 22: 21)

“Alaṅku uḷaiya paṉai” (Puṟanāṉūṟu, 22: 21)

The palmyra palm of dangling head

* * *

Raṁbuk-oluva is a place in Laggala-Pallegama division of Matale district.

Hal-oḷuva comes as a place name in Harispattuva division of Kandy district and in Bulathkohupitiya division of Kegalle district. Spelt as Hal-oluva, another place is found in Divulapitiya division of Gampaha district.

Daň-koḷuva is in Pitabeddara division of Matara district.

Murutōluva is a place in Naula division of Matale district.

Olu-pẹliyāva comes in Nikaweratiya division of Kurunegala district.

Kańda-oḷuvāva is in Attanagalla division of Gampaha district.

* * *

Some related place names:

Oluva: (as forest)

Ril-oluva: Narammala, Kurunegala. Ril: 1. Rilā, Rilavā: common brown monkey of the island, Macacus pileatus (Sinhala, Clough, Sorata); 2. Rilla: a plant (Sinhala, Clough, Sorata); Rilā: prefix to some plant names (Sinhala, Clough)

Kuṁbal-oluva: Mirigama, Gampaha; Ambanganga Korale, Matale; Rambukkana, Kegalle. Kuṁbal: from Kuṁbaḷu: wild Bilimbi, Val-biliň, Ailantus malabarica (Sinhala, Clough); Kuṁbal: a kind of winged insect (Clough); a winged insect that builds its nest from clay (Sorata); potter (Clough, Sorata)

Hal-oluva: Divulapitiya, Gampaha. Hal: a tree Vateria indica

Ali-olu-āra: Sooriyawewa, Hambantota. Ali: elephant; Āra: river

Olu-āra: Okewela, Hambantota. Āra: river

Oluvā-vatta: Pathahewaheta, Kandy. Vatta: garden, grove

* * *

Oḷuva: (as forest)

Kuṁbal-oḷuva: Kothmale, Nuwara Eliya. See Kuṁbal-oluva

Mānel-oḷuva: Mallawapitiya, Kurunegala. Mānel: commonly means blue lotus; in this case it seems to be meaning a variety of blue-flowering Nelu trees; or probably, Goḍa-mānel: "Enam malgasa" (Sinhala, Sorata); Goḍa-mahanel, Goḍa-mānil: a bulbous stemless plant, Crinum zeylanicum, Crinum ornatum, Amarillis zeylanica (Sinhala Clough)

Oḷu-karada: Kekirawa, Anuradhapura. Karada: Karańda?: a tree, Pongamia glabra

* * *

Ōluva: (as forest)

Hallōluva-goḍa: Habaraduwa, Galle. Hal+ōluva+goda

Māhallōluva: Dompe, Gampaha. Mā+hal+ōluva. Mā+hal+ōluva. See Hallōluva-goḍa

Ōlu-gaň-toṭa: Imbulpe, Ratnapura. Ōlu-gaň: forest river; Toṭa: ferry

* * *

Hōluva: (as forest)

Hōluvā-goḍa: Bope-Poddala, Galle. H added to Ō; Ōluvā+goḍa

* * *

Koluva: (as forest)

Gālē-koluva: Rattota, Matale. Gāla: cattle pen

* * *

Oluva/ Oḷuva: (probably as head/ top or as forest)

Gallōḷuva: Gampaha, Gampaha; Minuwangoda, Gampaha. Gal+ ōluva; Gal: stone, rock, hill

Yaṭi-gal-oḷuva: Alawwa, Kurunegala. Yaṭi: bottom, lower side. See Gallōluva

Koṭa-gal-oluva: Udunuwara, Kandy. Koṭa: small

* * *

Dan, Daň: (meaning tree; Dan also means gift, donation etc., coming from Dāna; some place names may have these meanings)

Dan-ōviṭa: Mirigama, Gampaha

Daň-vilāna: Attanagalla, Gampaha

Daň-galla: Dompe, Gampaha

Daň-gaha-vela: Mahara, Gampaha

Dan-vatta-goḍa: Beruwala, Kalutara

Dan-turē: Yatinuwara, Kandy

Dan-kanda: Rattota, Matale

Mā-dan-vala: Hanguranketha, Nuwara Eliya. Mā-dan: a variety of Dan

Daň-gaha-vila: Karandeniya, Galle

Daň-gedara: Galle Four Gravets, Galle

Daň-gala: Pitabeddara, Matara

Dan-deniya: Dickwella, Matara; Opanayake, Ratnapura

Dan-deni-gama: Angunakolapelessa, Hambantota

Daň-gala-kanda: Katuwana, Hambantota

Daň-kẹṭiya: Tangalle, Hambantota

Daň-golla: Narammala, Kurunegala

Daň-gas-vẹva: Karuwalagaswewa, Puttalam; Mahakumbukkadawala, Puttalam

Daň-gaha-vala: Mahakumbukkadawala, Puttalam

Dan-koṭuva: Dankotuwa, Puttalam

Daň-gamuva: Uva Paranagama, Badulla

Dan-noruwa: Ruwanwella, Kegalle

* * *

Muruta:

Murutāna: Katana, Gampaha

Muruta-vala: Mirigama, Gampaha; Mawanella, Kegalle

Muruta-gas-piṭiya: Dehiattakandiya, Ampara

Muruta-gas-mulla: also. Muruta-gaha-mula: Udunuwara, Kandy

Muruta-vatta: Yatawatta, Matale

Muruta-gama: Seethawaka, Colombo

Muruta-vela: Walasmulla, Hambantota

Murutava: Ibbagamuva, Kurunegala

Muruta-muraya: Hakmana, Matara: Mura: 1. surrounding, encircling; 2. watching guarding (Sinhala, Clough)

Muruta-kanda: Buttala, Moneragala

Murutẹn-gē: Kuliyapitiya, Kurunegala

* * *

Muruta: (Tamil)

Murutaṉai: Koralaippattu, Batticaloa

* * *


Revised: Tuesday, 09 May 2017, 18:30

First published: Saturday, 07 September 2013, 20:12