Know the Etymology: 349
Place Name of the Day: Tuesday, 27 May 2014

Seetha-gangula, Mal-ulla

ஸீத்தக₃ங்கு₃ல, மல் உல்ல
Sītagaṅgula, Malulla

Seetha+gangula
Mal-ulla

The cold, little waterfall or rapid

The spring of water coming from the hill/ rocks; or the fountain of flowers

Gangul	Small waterfall, rapid (Sinhala); from Ganga+ul
Ganga	River (Sinhala); Gangaa: The river Ganges (Sanskrit, Pali, CDIAL 3952)
Ul	Also Ul-patha, Ul-diya: Spring of water, fountain (Sinhala); Ælla: Waterfall, rapid (Sinhala); Ul: Small waterfall or rapid in the context of the phrase Gang-ul (Sinhala); 1. Uli: Waterfall (Irula, DED 999); Oli: Waterfall: Kuruba, DED 999); Oyl: Waterfall (Kota, DED 999); Olu: Water current (Malayalam, DED 999); Oliyal: River (Tamil, DED 999); Ollai: Rapidity (Tamil, DED 1008); Oli: Sound, noise, roar (Tamil, DED 996); 2. Oo'r'ru: Spring of water, fountain (Tamil, DED 761, R/ L change); Oo'ru: (verb) To spring, flow (Tamil, DED 761); 3. Ulela: Whirling in the water (Sinhala); Ulola: Waves (Sinhala); Alai: (verb) to wave; (noun) wave (Tamil, DED 240). Also see columns on Gurugal-ælla and Karagaha-ulpatha
Ulla	Derivative of Ul. Seen in toponymic contexts meaning a fountain, spring, natural flow of water, pond formed by a fountain or spring etc. (Sinhala). See box on Ul for etymology.
Seetha	Cold, frigid (Sinhala); Cold (Sanskrit, Pali, CDIAL 12485)
Mal 1	(plural), Mala (singular): Flower (Sinhala); Malar: (verb) To open as a flower; (noun) flower, full-blown flower, blossom (Tamil, DED 4739); flower (Malayalam, Kannada, DED 4739); Malaacu: To flower (Telugu, DED 4739);
Mal 2	(plural), Mala (singular): Rock (Sinhala); Mala: Hill, mountain (Sinhala); Malai: Hill, mountain (Tamil, DED 4742); Mal: The mountains of Nilgiris as opposed to the plains (Toda, DED 4742); Mala: Hill, mountain (Malayalam, Telugu, DED 4742); Male: Mountain, forest (Kannada, DED 4742); forest, hill overgrown with forest (Tulu, DED 4742); Male, Maale: Hill (Kolami, DED 4742); Maare: Hill (Gadba, DED 4742); Mash: Hill, mountain (Brahui of Pakistan, DED 4742); Malaya: Western Ghats of South India (Sanskrit, Prakrit, CDIAL 9902); The central highlands of the island as in Malaya-rata or Mala-rata, mountainous, wild (Sinhala)

The Sinhala place name component Gangula, corresponding to the word Gangul in the dictionary entries, means a small waterfall or rapid.

The word has two parts, Ganga and Ul, literally meaning the spring or flow of the river.

The word Ganga, meaning the river Ganges in Indo-Aryan diction (CDIAL 3952), stands for river in general in Sinhala. Sometimes the word refers to rivulets and streams too. Such a usage could be found in late Tamil literature as well.

Ul, meaning a fountain or spring of water in Sinhala, comes to mean a small waterfall or rapid in the phrase Gangul.

Ul-pata and Ul-diya in Sinhala are some other phrases based on Ul, meaning a fountain or spring of water. Ul-pata is also a place name component.

Another Sinhala place name component Ulla, is a derivative of Ul, and is found used in the toponymic contexts to mean a fountain, spring or a pond getting water from a fountain or spring.

Ul and Ulla may also have a relationship with Ælla in Sinhala meaning a waterfall or rapid.

The etymology of Ul may be connected to Ullalai, Ullar'naa etc., in the Prakrits, meaning to jump up, spring up etc. (CDIAL 2373). But more direct cognates are found in Dravidian, as in the example of Uli meaning waterfall in Irula (DED 999). See table for other relevant examples from the etymological roots Oli (flow of water, DED 999), Ol (rapidity DED 1008), U'ru (appearance of water as a spring or fountain, R/ L change, DED 761) and Alai/ Ulai (to wave, DED 240).

Seetha meaning cold or frigid in Sinhala is as same as the word in Sanskrit/ Indo-Aryan (CDIAL 12485).

The component Mal may mean rock/ hill or flower/ flowering plants in the context of the place name.

In meaning rock or hill, the etymology of Mal/ Mala is related to Malai in Tamil/ Dravidian (DED 4742). Mal in Toda, and Mala in Malayalam and Telugu, are forms closer to Sinhala.

In meaning flower, Mal is etymologically related to Malar in Tamil/ Dravidian (DED 4739).

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Seetha-gangula is in Ambagamuwa division of Nuwara Eliya district.

Mal-ulla is in Hanguranketha division of Nuwara Eliya district.

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Some related place names:


Gangula:

Gangulan-de'niya: The rising side-land of the rapid; Katwana division, Hambantota district

As-gangula: The small waterfall at the corner, angle or inside; Eheliyagoda division, Ratnapura district

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Ulla:

Elavulla: Ela-ulla: The fountain of the brook or rivulet; Dehiovita division, Kegalle district.

Udu-ulla: The upper fountain; Mirigama division, Gampaha district

Rilavulla: Rilla-ulla: The fountain in the locality of Rilla plant (probably, the shield fern, Aspidium unitum); Ja- Ela division, Gampaha district

Ulladu-pitiya: Probably, Ulla-diya pitiya: The high ground plain of a fountain; Harispattuwa division, Kandy district

Hiddavulla: Hidda-ulla: The fountain or flow of the natural pond or the spring of water coming through the hole; Udunuwara division, Kandy district. Hida: natural pond, collection of water (Sinhala); Hidas: Hole, perforation (Sinhala)

Dunuke-ulla: The fountain in the locality of screw pines; Udapalatha division, Kandy district

Giraa-ulla: The fountain in the parrot locality; GI Korale, Kandy district

Dambulla: Damba-ulla: The fountain at the Damba tree locality, or the fountain of water in copper colour; Dambulla division, Matale district; Rambukkana division, Kegalle district

Ullala: The fountain (Ulla-la, the last la an affix); or the waters of whirlpool; Kumburupitiya division, Matara district

Ullala-pola: The open field or market place at the fountain locality; Maho division, Kurunegala district

Thumbulla: Thumba-ulla: Probably, the spring flowing like a long-gourd; or a fountain that flows through a pipe; or the fountain waters used to soak coconut fibre; Nikaweratiya division, Kurunegala district; Alawwa division, Kurunegala district. Thumba: long-gourd, back part of a coconut (Sinhala); Thoompu; tube, tubularity, sluice, channel for irrigation (Tamil, DED 3389); sluice, floodgate, drain, spout (Malayalam, DED 3389); Tumbu: watercourse (Kannada, DED 3389); Tum: hollow trunk of a tree used in draining water (Parji, Gondi, DED 3389); Thumpi: bee that sucks honey (Tamil, DED 3328); Thumpik-kai: Trunk of an elephant (Tamil, DED 3330); Thumpu: fibre, coconut fibre, rope (Tamil, DED 3333)

Maa-ulla: The big spring or fountain; Kobeigane division, Kurunegala district

Nela-ulla: the eroding flow of spring water; Rideegama division, Kurunegala district. Nelanawaa: to break, to pluck, to root up weeds (Sinhala)

Gonulla: Goan-ulla: The elk's fountain; Pannala division, Kurunegala district

Paramaa-ulla: The main fountain; or Para-maa-ulla: the remote, big, fountain; or the big fountain of Para trees; Alawwa dvision, Kurunegala district

Thel-ulla: The fountain for the cultivation of sesame; or the fountain of the stream; Wellawaya division, Moneragala district. Thel: oil, sesame (Sinhala); Thela: oya i.e., stream, river (Sinhala, literary)

Kavudaa-ulla: The fountain found with crows; Rambukkana division, Kegalle district

Uuraa-ulla: The fountain frequented by boars; Kegalle division, Kegalle district

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Ullai (Tamil): Also see column on Ullaik-kazhi for another meaning in coastal context


Ullaik-ku'lach-cheanai: The slash and burn cultivation fields of the tank of (natural) fountain-water; Moothoor division, Trincomalee district

Periya-ullai: The big fountain or big pond getting water from a fountain; Pothuvil division, Ampaa'rai district

Chinna-ullai: The small fountain or small pond getting water from a fountain, Pothuvil division, Ampaa'rai district

First published: Tuesday, 27 May 2014, 07:46