Know the Etymology: 336
Place Name of the Day: Thursday, 03 April 2014

Kithul-gaha-araawa

கித்துல்க₃ஹ அராவ
Kitulgaha Arāva

Kithul+gaha+araawa

The newly prepared and detached cultivation field in the Kithul palm locality

Araawa

Also Haraawa: Portion of land newly asweddumized (cleared of forest and developed for cultivation) and lying detached from the range of other fields (Sinhala); A'rai: general name for cultivation land (Tamil, inscriptions, c. 800 CE, Travancore Archaeological Series, iii, p. 203-05); probably from the verb root A'ru: To cut, severe, clear a place of trees (Tamil, DED 315); A'ral: Becoming detached by cutting (Tamil, DED 315); A'ruppu: Harvest, piece, section sawn (Tamil, DED 315); Arna: Crop, harvest, cultivation (Kuwi, DED 315); Arvati: Badaga village in distant lonely place (Kota, DED 315); Tha'rai: General name for paddy fields (Tamil, inscriptions, c. 1000 CE, TAS, II. P. 173-207); probably from Tha'ri: To cut off, lop, to chop off, to fell as of trees (Tami, DED 3140); Tharipuni: To clear as of a jungle (Tulu, DED 3140).

Kithulgaha

Kithul+gaha, also, Kithul, Hithul, Hin-thaala, Heen-thaala: The jaggory palm, Caryota urens (Sinhala); 1. Hintaala: Literally meaning the small Thaala (palmyra) palm, also means the marshy date palm, Phoenix paludosa (Sanskrit, Pali, CDIAL 14093); Taada, Taala: Palm (Sanskrit, Pali, CDIAL 5750); Taazh: Palmyra palm (Kannada, DED 3180); Taa'li: Palmyra palm (Tulu, DED 3180); Taati, Taadu: Palmyra palm, toddy palm (some other Dravidian languages, DED 3180); Taari: Plantain (Konda, DED 3181); Thaazhai: Screw pine, coconut palm, spathe of coconut palm (Tamil, DED 3183); Taare, Taa'le: Coconut palm (Tulu, DED 3183); The root word is Thaazh: For the fronds of palm or grass family of plants, flow down (Tamil, DED 3178); Thaa'li, Thaa'lip-panai: The jaggory palm, Caryota urens (Tamil, Kaaraikkaal Ammai, 2:6; Kallaadam, 33:3, Pingkalam, 9: 108); 2. Koonthal-panai: The jaggory palm, Caryota urens (Tamil, Pingkalam, 9: 108); the peculiar spathe of the tree is compared to Koonthal: Long flowing tresses of a woman (Tamil, Malayalam, DED 1892); Koodal, Kujalo, Koodlu: Hair (some other Dravidian languages, DED 1892). See column on Thalpitiya.

Araawa in Sinhala means a newly cleared field, prepared and developed for cultivation. Such fields stand detached and lie away from the other fields.

Aswaddanawaa is a Sinhala verb that stands for the creation of such cultivation lands. The word literally means cutting, smoothing or arranging for development or prosperity. The prefix in the verb, as in another verb As-kara'nawaa, means to arrange, put in order or decorate, and as in As-gasanawaa, means to smooth or trim the ground. Waddanawaa corresponds to Vrddi in Sanskrit, meaning increase, prosperity and development (CDIAL 12076).

The scale in which deforestation for the creation of new agricultural tracts took place in the dry zone during British colonial times, popularised the Sinhala term Aswaddanawaa to get into colonial English usage as a technical term “asweddumise,“ to explain the process of newly preparing a cultivation field, in the way it took place in the island.

Clough's Sinhala–English dictionary of 1892 defines Araawa as a “portion of land newly asweddumised and lying detached from the range of fields.”

The difference between an Araawa and a Hena is that the latter is a shifting cultivation field, while the former is a permanent field once it is developed.

Araawa is also sometimes written as Haraawa. Addition of H in front of some vowels is as common as its omission in Sinhala, as in the examples Oya > Hoya and E'lu/ E'luwa > He'la

In seeking the etymology of Araawa (Araa is the root), traceable parallels come from the Dravidian languages.

A'rai in old Tamil/ Dravidian was a general term from a cultivation field, found used in the inscriptions. The root A'ru is connected to cutting, clearing, removing etc. (DED 315). Similarly, another Tamil/ Dravidian word Tha'rai meaning a paddy field has the root Tha'ri, meaning felling of trees

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A'rai meaning a garden field as well as a paddy field:

“Vaazhaik koaddu pear a'raiyum thudavalum choozhik ku'ndu a'raik kalampaadu” (c. 800 CE, Travancore Archaeological Series, III, p. 203.05)

“வாழைக் கோட்டு பேர் அறையும் துடவலும் சூழிக் குண்டு அறைக் கலம்பாடு” (c. 800 CE, Travancore Archaeological Series, III, p. 203.05)

The big cultivation land (A'rai) of plantains, the Thudaval paddy field land and the A'rai paddy field land of the sawing capacity of one Kalam paddy (per measure)


Tha'rai meaning a paddy field:

“Thaththaiyaar tha'rai irupaththaim pa'rai” (c. 1000 CE, TAS, II, p. 173-207)

“தத்தையார் தறை இருபத்தைம் பறை” (c. 1000 CE, TAS, II, p. 173-207)

The paddy fields of Thaththaiyaar (a woman) of the sawing capacity of 25 pa'rai (a measure)

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Kithul is the name in Sinhala for the palm Caryota urens, from the sap of which jaggory and treacle is produced. The palm is largely found in the wet zone of the island.

While Kithul is the commonly used name, the palm is also known in Sinhala as Hithul, Hin-thaala and Heen-thaala. The latter two literally mean the lessor Thaala (Thal/ Thaala means the palmyra palm).

In one etymological possibility, Kithul/ Hithul could be related to Hinthaala/ Heenthaala. But there is another possibility that Kithul is related to Koonthal, since Koonthal-panai is one of the names for the palm Caryota urens in Tamil.

The Tamil name for the palm comes from comparing its conspicuous spathe to Koonthal (DED 1892), the long flowing tresses of a woman.

The other names, Thaa'li and Thaa'lip-panai for Caryota urens in Tamil correspond to Thaala.

The Dravidian etymology of Thaala, its relationship with Taazh, Thaazhai, Taa'le, Taati, Taadu, Taari etc., in various Dravidian languages, meaning palmyra, coconut, screw pine, toddy palm, plantain etc., and the root Thaazh in Tamil/ Dravidian meaning the foliage of these plants (DED 3178, 3180, 3181, 3183), are discussed in an earlier column on Thalpitiya. Also see the box above.

Caryota urens is widely found in the Western Ghats of South India.

Gorba (Parji, DED 2131), Payne (Kannada, DED 3944) and Baini (Tulu, DED 3944) are some other names for Caryota urens. Compare them with the terms Karuppaddi (palm jaggory), Karuppa'ni and Payani (sweet non-alcoholic sap of palm) in Tamil and Pæni, Kithul-pæni for treacle in Sinhala.

Gaha in Sinhala meaning a tree is a cognate of Gaksha in Sanskrit/ Indo-Aryan (CDIAL 3949).

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Kithul-gaha-araawa is in Haldummulla division of Badulla district

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Some related place names:

Pothu-araawa: The newly asweddumized field in the locality of reeds; Kaduwela division, Colombo district

Dambaraawa: Damba-araava: The newly asweddumized field in the locality of Damba trees; The Kundasale division, Kandy district

Enasal-araawa: The newly asweddumized field for cardamom cultivation; Hanguranketha division Nuwara Eliya district. Ensaal: Ceylon cardamoms, Elettaria cardomomum (Sinhala)

Demata-araawa: The newly asweddumized field in the locality of Demata shrubs; Walapane division, Nuwara Eliya district

Piti-haraawa: The newly asweddumized field in the high ground plain; Beddegama division, Galle district

Wællaraawa: Wælla-araava: The newly asweddumized field in the sandy area; Bingiriya division, Kurunegala district

Ginikaraawa: Probably Gini-haraawa: The newly asweddumized field in the locality of Gini (plumbago rosea) plants; Kurunegala division, Kurunegala district

Sangili-kanadaraawa: Sankili-kanada-araawa: The newly asweddumized field in the Sangili forest; Medawachchiya division, Anuradhapura district

Maha-kanadaraawa: Maha-kanada-araawa: The asweddumized field in the big forest; Rambewa division, Anuradhapura district; Mihintale division, Anuradhapura district

Gal-thambaraawa: Gal-thamba-araava: The asweddumized field in the stone-pillar area (probably archaeological ruins); Thamankaduwa division, Polonnaruwa district

Araa-watta: The newly asweddumized garden or grove; Rideemaliyadda division, Badulla district

Ritigaha-araawa: The newly asweddumized field in the locality of Riti (Upas, Antiaris innoxia) trees; Rideemaliyadda division, Badulla district

Araawa: The newly asweddumized field; Rideemaliyadda division, Badulla district

Polgaha-araawa: The newly asweddumized field of coconut palms; Meegahakivula division, Badulla district

Arawaa-kumbura: The newly asweddumized paddy field; Lunugala division, Badulla district

Yahala-araawa: The newly asweddumized field cultivated in the Yala (lessor harvest) season; Uva Paranagama division, Badulla district

Bædde-araawa: The newly asweddumized field in the jungle or thicket; Bandarawela division, Badulla district

Maari-araawa: Probably, the newly asweddumized field cultivated in the rainy season; Madulla division, Moneragala district. Maari: rainy season (Tamil, DED 4819). The term is used for cultivation fields in the neighbouring Batticaloa and Ampaa'rai districts

Gangoda-araawa: The newly asweddumized field in the riverbank; Madulla division, Moneragala district. Gan: river; Goda: bank (Sinhala)

Pahatha-araawa: The newly asweddumized field placed away; or the five asweddumized fields; Siyambalanduwa division, Moneragala district. Paha: five, aside, away

Maaraawa: Maa-araava: The big newly asweddumized field; Moneragala division, Moneragala district

Madukoadan-araawa: Probably, the newly asweddumized field in the locality of Ipomoea obscura creepers; Badalkumbura division, Moneragala district. Madu: An edible creeper, Ipomoea obscura (Sinhala); Kodi: creeper (Tamil)

Uda-araawa: The newly asweddumized field in the upper ground; Buttala division, Moneragala district

Kækiraawa: Kækira-araawa: The newly asweddumized field for cucumber cultivation; Kekirawa division, Anuradhapura district

Kachchiraawa: Kachchi-araava; The newly asweddimized field in the forest; Natthandiya division, Puththa'lam district

Bahiraawa: Bahi+araawa: The newly asweddumized field in the outside; Sevanagala division, Moneragala district. Bahi: out, outside, outer, outward (Sinhala); Bahis: outside (Sanskrit, CDIAL 9186); Bahi: outside (Pali, CDIAL 9186)

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Kithul:

Kithul-hena: The slash and burn cultivation field having Kithul palms or in the locality of Kithul palms; Homagama division, Colombo district

Kithula-vila: The pond or marsh in the locality of Kithul palms; Homagama division, Colombo district

Kithula-kanda: The hill of Kithul palms; Dompe division, Gampaha district

Kithulaawa: The place of Kithul palms; Kalutara division, Kalutara district

Kithul-goda: The bank/ hill/ village of Kithul palms; Agalawatta division, Kalutara district

Kithul-dera: The ground of Kithul palms; Hatharaliyadda division, Kandy district

Katu-kithula: The place having a kind of spiny palms, Oncosperma fasciculata; Kothmale division, Nuwara Eliya district. Katu-kithula: Oncosperma fasciculata, Palmoe (Sinhala)

Kithul-pe: The Kithul palm grove; Hanguranketha division, Nuwara Eliya district; Kuruvita division, Ratnapura district

Kithul-ampitiya: The watery high ground plain having Kithul palms; Bope-poddala division, Galle district

Kithul-wewa: The tank in the locality of Kithul palms; Earaavoorpattu division, Batticaloa district

Kithul-thuva: The water-surrounded place of Kithul palms; Morawewa division, Trincomalee district

Kithul-wehera: The monastery in the locality of Kithul palms; Wariyapola division, Kurunegala district

Kithul-wala: The forest of Kithul palms; Rideegama division, Kurunegala district; Divulapitiya division, Gampaha district

Kithul-golla: The grove of Kithul palms; Rideegama division, Kurunegala district; Pujapitiya division, Kandy district

Kithul-hitiyaawa: The high ground plain of Kithul palms; Kekirawa division, Auradhapura district

Kithul-watta-gama: The village of the grove of Kithul palms; Soranathota division, Badulla district

Kota-kithula: The enclosed place of Kithul palms; Welimada division, Badulla district

Kithul-kote: The enclosure of Kithul palms; Wellawaya division, Moneragala district

Kithul-gala: The rocky hill of Kithul palms; Yatiyanthota division, Kegalle district

First published: Thursday, 03 April 2014, 06:46