Know the Etymology: 313
Place Name of the Day: Thursday, 16 February 2017

Mutteṭṭuvē-gama, Muttaṭṭu

முத்தெட்டுவே-க₃ம, முத்தட்டு
Mutteṭṭuvē-gama, Muttaṭṭu

Mutteṭṭuvē+gama
Muttaṭṭu

The village having a Mutteṭṭu land the produce of which entirely goes to the king, proprietor or grantee

The Muttaṭṭu land, the produce of which entirely goes to the king, proprietor or grantee

Mutteṭṭu	a cultivation field, which was sown on account of the king or other proprietor, temporary grantee or chief of a village, and distinguished from the fields of other inhabitants of the village, who were liable to perform service, or render dues (Sinhala, "Tenures of Land in the Kandyan Kingdom," The Asiatic Journal and Monthly Register for British and Foreign India, China, and Australia, Vol VI, New Series, September-December 1831, pp. 322-324); "Iḍam himiyan visin anyayanṭa butti vitīmaṭa dun iḍam sańdahā ovun visin himiyangen kulī no geṇa vahā kara dena iḍama" (Sinhala, Sorata); field cultivated free of wages for the proprietor by his farm labourers (Tamil, MTL citing Jaffna Dictionary); Ninda Mutteṭṭu: a field which was sown entirely gratuitously for the benefit of the proprietor, grantee, or chief, by other persons, in consideration of the lands which they possessed (Sinhala, ibid., Sorata); Ańda-mutteṭṭu, Ande Mutteṭṭu: a field which was sown by any one, without obligation, on the usual condition of giving half the crop to the proprietor (Sinhala, ibid., Sorata); Muṟṟūṭṭu: entire produce of a cultivation field (Tamil, inscriptions, 1014 CE, EC, ix, Cp, 88); a cultivation field the produce of which entirely goes to the proprietor or the person or institution endowed with that land (Tamil inscriptions); Muṟṟūṭṭu-tēvatāṉam: a cultivation land, the produce of which entirely goes to the temple (Tamil, inscriptions, 957 CE, SII, xix, 46); from, Muṟṟu, Muḻu: all, entire, whole (Tamil, DED 4992, 5017); and Ūṭṭu: (verb) to feed; (noun) Food (Tamil, DED 600); Income, produce (Tamil, inscriptions, 864 CE, SII, vii, 503); Muṟṟūṭṭu > Muttūṭṭu > Mutteṭṭu. See box on Muttaṭṭu
Muttaṭṭu	Eezham Tamil toponymic form of Mutteṭṭu: field cultivated free of wages for the proprietor by his farm labourers (Tamil, MTL citing Jaffna Dictionary); from Muṟṟūṭṭu: entire produce of a cultivation field (Tamil, inscriptions, 1014 CE, EC, ix, Cp, 88); a cultivation field the produce of which entirely goes to the proprietor or the person or institution endowed with that land (Tamil inscriptions); Muṟṟūṭṭu-tēvatāṉam: a cultivation land, the produce of which entirely goes to the temple (Tamil, inscriptions, 957 CE, SII, xix, 46); from, Muṟṟu, Muḻu: all, entire, whole (Tamil, DED 4992, 5017); and Ūṭṭu: (verb) to feed; (noun) food (Tamil, DED 600); Income, produce (Tamil, inscriptions, 864 CE, SII, vii, 503); Muṟṟūṭṭu > Muttūṭṭu > Muttaṭṭu/ Mutteṭṭu. See box on Mutteṭṭu
Gama	village (Sinhala); see column 36

Mutteṭṭu in Sinhala means a cultivation land, the produce of which entirely goes to the proprietor or to the endowment recipient. Such a land has to be cultivated free of cost by the other landholders of that place, who usually get their lands on account of that Mutteṭṭu.

Mutteṭṭu lands usually belong to the king or are endowed to individuals or institutions.

In traditional Sinhala land tenure practices, a Ninda-gama, which means an endowment-village and a Gabaḍā-gama, which means a royal village, would generally have a Mutteṭṭu land.

While in a Ninda-Mutteṭṭu the entire produce go to the proprietor or endowment recipient, an Ańde-Mutteṭṭu in Sinhala means a cultivation land, in which half of the produce goes to the proprietor or recipient of the endowment. Ańde is related to Ańdaya in Sinhala, meaning share, portion or part, and is a cognate of Ardha meaning half in Sanskrit (CDIAL 644).

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Mutteṭṭu in Tamil means almost the same as Mutteṭṭu in Sinhala (see boxes above). Muttaṭṭu is the toponymic form noticed in Eezham Tamil.

Both Mutteṭṭu and Muttaṭṭu correspond to Muṟṟūṭṭu, a term often used in the Tamil inscriptions in the context of the endowment of cultivation lands, in which the entire produce goes to the recipient. For instance, a Muṟṟūṭṭu-tēvatāṉam, in the inscriptions of the Chola times meant a cultivation land endowed to a temple, where the entire produce went to the temple.

Muṟṟūṭṭu is a phrase of two Tamil/ Dravidian words, Muḻu/ Muṟṟu, meaning, all, entire, whole etc. (DED 4992, 5017) and Ūṭṭu, basically meaning food (Tamil, DED 600) but used to mean income or produce in the Tamil inscriptions.

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Muṟṟūṭṭu meaning the whole produce or income:

"முற்றூட்டும் அனுப₄வித்து" (Tamil inscription, 1014 CE, Epigraphia Carnatica, IX, Cp, 88)

"Muṟṟūṭṭum anubhavittu" (Tamil inscription, 1014 CE, Epigraphia Carnatica, IX, Cp, 88)

Enjoying the full produce


Muṟṟūṭṭu-tēvatāṉam meaning a land or village endowed of its full produce to a temple:

"வெண்ணாட்டுப் பெருமானார் முற்றூட்டுத் தேவதானந் திருமழலை" (Tamil inscription, 957 CE, South Indian Inscriptions, XIX, 46)

"Veṇṇāṭṭup perumāṉār muṟṟūṭṭut tēvatāṉan Tirumaḻalai" (Tamil inscription, 957 CE, South Indian Inscriptions, XIX, 46)

The Tirumaḻalai village, the produce of which is entirely endowed to the God (Siva) of Veṇṇāṭu

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Mutteṭṭuvē-gama is a village in Imbulpe division of Ratnapura district. The 'vē' affix to Mutteṭṭu is a case-end meaning belongingness.

Muttaṭṭu is a locality name coming in Varaṇi in Thenmaradchi division of Jaffna district(Balasundaram, p. 376)

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Some related place names:

Mutteṭṭu-pola: The field, the produce of which entirely goes to the proprietor or endowment recipient; or the field attached to a Mutteṭṭu land/ village; Weligepola division, Ratnapura district

Mutteṭṭu-tẹnna: The high-ground plain the produce of which entirely goes to the proprietor or the recipient of the endowment; or the high-ground plain attached to a Mutteṭṭu land/ village; Minipe division, Kandy district

Mutteṭṭu-goḍa: The village/ hill/ bank, the produce of which entirely goes to the proprietor or the recipient of the endowment; Kaduwela division, Colombo district


Revised: Thursday, 16 February 2017, 23:30

First published: Wednesday, 15 January 2014, 07:49