Know the Etymology: 365
Place Name of the Day: Saturday, 06 September 2014

Aruvi-aa'ru, Kætagal-aara

அருவி ஆறு (அருவியாறு)
க[æ,ட்]டக₃ல் ஆர
Aruvi-āṟu
Kæṭagal-āṟa

Aruvi+aa'ru
Kæta+gal+aara

The river coming from the hills or the river at its estuary

The pebble-stone river

Aa'ru	River, brook (Tamil, DED 5159); River (Malayalam, DED 5159); Yaa'ru: River, brook (Old Tamil, DED 5159); Aaru, Taaru, Saaru, Haaru: River, stream (Tulu, DED 5159); Ea'ru: River (Telugu, DED 5159); cognates in 13 Dravidian languages; Aa'ru 2: Way, road, path, means, manner, method (Tamil, DED 405); the second meaning is related to the first one, as rivers, river banks and river beds were the primitive roads. Note the Changkam Tamil usage Aa'r'rup-padai for telling the way to go
Aara	1. River, brook, rivulet, channel, canal; Ganga, Æ'la (Sinhala, Sorata); 2. Way, road; Maargaya (colloquial Sinhala, Sorata); 3. Bank serving as footpath in paddy dields; Niyara (Sinhala, Sorata); 4. Lineage; Paramparaawa (colloquial Sinhala, Sorata); 5. Form, manner, mode; Aakaaraya (Sinhala, Sorata); 6. Mine; Aakaraya; note the interrelationship of the meanings as in Tamil
Aruvi 1	Water flowing from a top place, river flowing from the hills (Tamil, Changkam usage, Thivaakaram 5: 47, Pingkalam 4: 70, DED 226); Continuous flow of water, i.e. perennial river (Tamil, Changkam usage); from the root Aruvu: To spring out and gently flow down (Tamil, DED 226); cognates in Malayalam, Kuruba, Kannada, Tulu and Koraga (DED 226)
Aruvi 2	River's mouth (Tamil, Pingkalam 4: 140, DED 225); Aruve: Mouth of a river, seaport (Tulu, DED 225); from the root Azhi (Tamil, DED 278); Azhivu, Azhivi: Mouth of a river (Tamil, DED 278); or from the root Aruku, Aruvu: To approach (Tamil, DED 222); Brim, edge, margin (Malayalam DED 222); or from the root Arai (DED 228); Aruvu: To wear away as flood erodes a river's bank (Tamil, DED 228); Arippu: The name of the place where the river Aruvi-aa'ru enters into the sea
Kætagal	Kæta+gal: pebble stone or lump stone (Sinhala); Gal: stone, rock (Sinhala); Kal: stone, pebble, boulder (Tamil, DED 1298)
Kæta1	pebble, small stone, ball, lump, solidness; “Boralugala, Gu’liya, Sthira-bava” (Sinhala Clough, Sorata); Kaddi: clod, lump, concretion, anything hardened (Tamil, DED 1148); Katta: lump, mass, clod (Malayalam, DED 1148); from the verb Kaddu: to harden, consolidate, coagulate (Tamil, DED 1148); also Koddai: seed, nut, stone (Tamil, DED 2069)
Kæta2	= “Wæta”: enclosure of any kind, hedge, fence (Sinhala, Sorata); Kaddu: (verb) to tie, fasten, build; (noun) building, dam, binding structure etc. (Tamil, DED 1147); see related place names and box on Kætiya in earlier columns
Kæta3	mirror (Sinhala); Kaaddi: one which shows (Tamil); from Kaaddu: (verb) to show; (noun) showing (Tamil, DED 1443); from the root Ka’n: eye (Tamil, DED 1159a); Kaa’n: to see, appear (Tamil, DED 1443); Kaadchi: sight, appearance, view (Tamil, DED 1443); Ka’n-aadi: mirror (Tamil, DED 1182); Kannaadiya: mirror (Sinhala)
Kæta4	“Kaashtaya”, wood, log, firewood (Sinhala, Sorata); Kaddai: dried log or piece of wood, firewood (Tamil, Thirumoolar, 1677, Choodaama’ni lexicon, 4: 53); either related to Kaddu (to harden, DED 1148) or related to Kaashta: piece of wood (Sanskrit, CDIAL 3120); Kattha: wood (Pali, Prakrit, CDIAL 3120). See related place names
Kæta5	Coconut shell suitable for drawing/ pouring water (spoken Sinhala, Sorata); Gerate, Garita: coconut shell (Kannada, DED 2550); Geyte: coconut shell (Koraga, DED 2550); cognate of Chiraddai: coconut shell (Tamil, DED 2550); also Pol-kattuwa: shell of a coconut (Sinhala); Kattu in this instance means shell or encasement, related to DED 1147); Kotta: coconut (Malayalam, DED 2069); related to Koddai: seed, nut (Tamil, DED 2069); Koddaang-kachchi, Koddaachchi: coconut shell (Tamil, DED 2069). See related place names

Aa'ru is a common word in Tamil/ Dravidian (DED 5159), meaning any natural course of water in volume and continuity, such as a river, rivulet, stream, brook etc. Sometimes a sea current or a lengthy sea inlet is also called an Aa'ru. Another form of the word found in old Tamil usage is Yaa'ru (either Y added or dropped).

From its basic meaning such as a course of water, Aa'ru also means way, road, path, means, manner, method, lineage, sequence etc., in Tamil usages. In primitive times, the course of a river was the natural road. The Changkam Tamil literary theme, Aa'r'rup-padai, i.e., a bard telling another bard about the way to be taken to reach the place of a patron, gained its name from Aa'ru meaning a course.

Just as Aa'ru in Tamil, the Sinhala cognate Aara also means a river, rivulet, stream, brook, channel etc., as well as a way, road, path on banks in a paddy field, lineage, form, manner and mode (Sorata Thera's Sinhala dictionary).

In Eezham Tamil place names and river names, Aa'ru is used to mean big rivers as such Aruvi-aa'ru as well as forest streams, brooks, canals and also flood outlets such as Vazhukkai-aa'ru in Jaffna Peninsula.

In Sinhala place names and river names, the component Aara is largely found in Hambantota district of Southern Province, Moneragala district of Uva Province and Ratnapura district of Sabragamuwa Province.

* * *

Aruvi in Tamil/ Dravidian (DED 226), means water originating from a high place flowing down or cascading down. In Changkam usages and in the old Tamil lexicons Aruvi means a river or stream coming from the hills. It also means a continuous flow.

From another Dravidian etymological root, Aruvi in Tamil also means a river's mouth or a river at its stage of entering the sea (DED 225).

Both the meanings are appropriate for Aruvi-aa'ru, the Eezham Tamil name for the second largest river in the island.

Aruvi-aa'ru, around 165 km long and exclusively a dry zone river in the island, originates from the Ritigala hill forests (around 500 m high), courses through the ancient city, Anuradhapura, and flows into the Gulf of Mannaar at Arippu near the ancient port Maanthai or Maa-thoaddam in the Mannaar district.

The Sinhala name of the river Mal-wathu-oya could mean the flower-grove river as well as the hill-grove or hill-place river.

Mal in Sinhala and Malar in Tamil/ Dravidian means flower; also Mal, Mala in Sinhala and Malai in Tamil/ Dravidian means hill. Wathu is grove as well as a place or land in Sinhala, probably related to Vaastu in Sanskrit/ Indo-Aryan. Oya and Oyaval meaning, river, rivulet etc. in Sinhala are related to Uyavai in old Tamil, meaning a forest stream. They are connected to the Tamil/ Dravidian verb roots Oy and Uy meaning, fast-flowing (DED 984).

There is a strong probability that Aruvi-aa'ru in Eezham Tamil and Malwathu-oya in Sinhala are synonyms, meaning 'the hill river'.

Aruvi-aa'ru meaning 'the river reaching estuary' is also possible as the Tamil name is largely applied to the delta part of the river.

* * *

Aruvi as a hill-river or river coming from the hills:

“Yaamaththu karuvi maa mazhai veezhnthena aruvi vidar akaththu iyampum” (Ku'runthokai 42: 2-3)

“யாமத்து கருவி மா மழை வீழ்ந்தென அருவி விடர் அகத்து இயம்பும்” (குறுந்தொகை 42: 2-3)

If thundering big rains fall at midnight, the Aruvi (hill-river) would show that in the hill (in the following day)


“Aruvi malaich chaaral varum yaa'ru aakum” (Thivaakara Nika'ndu, 5: 47)

“அருவி மலைச் சாரல் வரும் யாறு ஆகும்” (திவாகர நிகண்டு, 5: 47)

Aruvi is a river that comes from the side of a hill


“Aruvi malaich chaaral veezh punal aakum” (Pingkala Nika'ndu, 4: 70)

“அருவி மலைச் சாரல் வீழ் புனல் ஆகும்” (பிங்கல நிகண்டு, 4: 70)

Aruvi is water that cascades from the side of a hill


Aruvi meaning a river mouth or estuary of a river:

“Aruviyum kayavum Kazhi mukam enpa”

“அருவியும் கயவும் கழி முகம் என்ப”

Say that Aruvi and Kayavu mean Kazhi-mukam (river mouth)

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Kæta-gal in Sinhala means pebble stone or lump stone in the context of the place name.

Kæta itself means pebble or small stone in Sinhala and related words in Sinhala are Kæti and Kætiya meaning clod or lump.

The words are cognates of Tamil/ Dravidian, Kaddi, meaning clod, lump etc. (DED 1148).

Gal in Sinhala, meaning stone or rock corresponds to Kal in Tamil/ Dravidian meaning the same (DED 1298).

* * *

Aruvi-aa'ru is the Tamil name applied to the second largest river in the island, Malwathu-oya that flows through Mannaar district to enter into the Gulf of Mannaar.

Kæta-gal-aara is the name of a stream as well as the name of a village on the side of the stream in the Embilipitiya division of Ratnapura district. Streams and villages with the same name are found in other districts also

* * *

Some related place names:

Kæta:

Kæta as pebble or lump:

Hu’nu-kæta-wala: The forest in the chalk-lump land; Ukuwela division, Matale district

Hu’nu-kæta-pitiya: The raised plain of chalk lumps; Meegahakivula division, Badulla district

Kætayaa-pathana: pebbly grassland; Hanguranketha division, Nuwara Eliya district

Kæta-kandura: The pebbly hill-stream; Walapane division, Nuwara Eliya district

Kætan-do’la: The pebbly hill-stream; Elpitiya division, Galle district; Akmeemana division, Galle district

Kæta-goda: The pebble bank; Nagoda division, Galle district; Uva Paranagama division, Badulla district

Kæta-pala-kanda: The hill of the open place of pebbles; Mulatiyana division, Matara district

Kætan-vila: The pebbly pond; Akuressa division, Matara district

Veren-kæta-goda: The bank of hard pebbles; Uhana division, Ampaa’rai district. Vera: Vairaya, hardness (Sinhala)

* * *

Kæta as enclosure:

Kæta-hira: The enclosed place of confinement or imprisonment; Hanguranketha division, Nuwara Eliya district. Hira, Sira: imprisonment, confinement incarceration (Sinhala); Hira-ge: prison (Sinhala); Hira-bima: confined place (Sinhala); Chi’rai: (verb) to restrain, imprison, dam up; (noun) guard, confinement, prison, boundary (Tamil, DED 1980)

Kæta-ge-watta: The garden or grove of the enclosure; or the garden or grove of the enclosed house; Ja-Ela division, Gampaha district

Kæta-kumbura: The enclosed paddy field; or the pebble-earth paddy field; Yatinuwara division, Kandy district; Udunuwara division, Kandy district

Kæta-walea-gedara: The house in the enclosed forest; Kuliyaapitiya division, Kurunegala district

Kæta-watta: The enclosed garden or grove; Meegahakivula division, Badulla district

* * *

Kæta-kaala as a tree, used in enclosures:

Kæta-kaala-pitiya: The raised plain of Kæta-kaala trees; Mirigama division, Gampaha district. Kæta-kaala, Kæta-kææla: a tree, “Gas-wesesak” (Sinhala Sorata); Kæta-kææla: a tree, Bridelia retusa (Sinhala, Clough); probably from the long and stout conical spines that appear in the stem of the tree and its use in fences; Kæta: =Wæta, enclosure, fence, hedge (Sinhala, Sorata; Kætiya: Sinhala; Kaddu: Tamil); Kaal: fence-post, as in Kathi-kaal, Kathiyaal (Tamil)

Kæta-kahala: Probably a form of Kæta-kaala; (The place of) Kæta-kaala trees; Pathadumbara division, Kandy district

Kæta-kaalea: (The place of) the Kæta-kaala trees; Thalaawa division, Anuradhapura district

Kæta-kælla-gama: The village of Kæta-kaala trees; Soranathota division, Badulla district

Kæta-kælla: The place of Kæta-kaala trees; Welimada division, Badulla district

* * *

Kæta as wood or firewood:

Kæta-wala: The pebbly or stony forest; or the enclosed forest; or the forest for firewood; Pasgoda division, Matara district; Hali-Ela division, Badulla district; Ratnapura division, Ratnapura district

* * *

Kæta probably related to coconut shell:

Kæta-bulaawa: Kothmale division, Nuwara Eliya district. Kæta5: coconut shell suitable for drawing/ pouring water (Sinhala); Bula: cup like a coconut shell (Sinhala, Sorata); Mallam: a vessel of a coconut shell (Malayalam DED 4744); cup (Tamil, DED 4744)

* * *

Aara as river in Sinhala:

Aara, Sinhala (see earlier columns for the meanings of the prefixes):

Weniwæl Aara: Sooriyawewa division, Hambantota district

Ali-olu Aara: Sooriyawewa division, Hambantota district

Mahawelikada Aara: Sooriyawewa division, Hambantota district

Maha-aluth-gam Aara: Lunugamvehera division, Hambantota district

Weeravil Aara: Lunugamvehera division, Hambantota district

Mæda Aara: Angunakolapelessa division, Hambantota district

Gurunnæhege Aara: Angunakolapelessa division, Hambantota district

Kudagal Aara: Weeraketiya division, Hambantota district

Meegas Aara: Weeraketiya division, Hambantota district

Ambagas Aara: Katuwana division, Hambantota district

Aara-boda: Katuwana division, Hambantota district

Puwakgas Aara: Katuwana division, Hambantota district

Radani Aara: also written as Radaniyaara: The dividing brook or canal; Walasmulla division, Hambantota district. A brook or canal divides the paddy fields at this place. Radana: tearing, rending (Sinhala); Rada: tearing, splitting, dividing (Sinhala)

Olu Aara: Okewela division, Hambantota district

Maha Aara-gama: Wellawaya division, Moneragala district

Debara Aara: Wellawaya division, Moneragala district

Goanagang Aara: Buttala division, Moneragala district

Sooriya Aara: Thanamalvila division, Moneragala district

Kivul Aara: Thanamalvila division, Moneragala district

Wæli Aara: Sevenagala division, Moneragala district

Ko'lambage Aara: Embilipitiya division, Ratnapura district

Hingura Aara: Embilipitiya division, Ratnapura district

Kalagedi Aara: Embilipitiya division, Ratnapura district

Kumbugoda Aara: Embilipitiya division, Ratnapura district

Habbbli Aara: Kolonna division, Ratnapura district

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Aa'ru, Tamil (most of them given here are only river/ stream names and they have not become village names)

Pearaa'ru: The river flows from Maa-madu in Vavuniyaa district through Oddusuddaan division, Mulaiththeevu district; another by this name at Kantha'laay division, Trincomlee district

Koaddaik-kallaa'ru: Batticaloa district

Vazhukkai-Aa'ru: Jaffna district

Kudamuruddi-Aa'ru: Ki'linochchi district

Mandakkal-Aa'ru: Ki'linochchi district

Chiththan-Aa'ru: Ki'linochchi district

Kachchat-kodi-Aa'ru: Mullaiththeevu district

Kuruvil- Aa'ru: Mullaithtrheevu district

Chaa'lampan-Aa'ru: Mullaiththeevu district; another in Ki'linochchi district

Koarai-madu-vil-Aa'ru: Puthukkudiyiruppu, Mullaiththeevu district

Paali-Aa'ru: Ve'llaang-ku'lam, Mannaar and Mullaiththeevu districts; another at Ampalavan Pokka'nai, Mullaiththeevu district

Piramanthal-Aa'ru: Ki'linochchi district

Neththali-Aa'ru: Udaiyaar-kaddu, Mullaiththeevu district

Kanakaraayan-Aa'ru: Vavuniyaa, Mullaiththeevu and Ki'linochchi districts

Karumaari-Aa'ru: Maang-ku'lam, Mullaiththeevu district

Nilai-Aa'ru: A forest stream feeding a ruined tank called Nilai-ku'lam and joining Akkaraayan-ku'lam; Ki'linochchi district

Va'n'naa-moaddai-Aa'ru: Thu'nukkaay, Mullaiththeevu district

Maruthan-ku'laththil-Aa'ru: Thu'nukkaay, Mullaiththeevu district

Akkaraayan-Aa'ru: Ki'linochchi district

Pa'ndi-veddi-Aa'ru: A forest stream coming from Pa'ndi-veddik-ku'lam; Manniya Ku'lam, Thu'nukkaay, Mullaiththeevu district

Manniya-Aa'ru: Thu'nukkaay, Mullaiththeevu district

Venneari-Aa'ru: Flowing into Vannearik-ku'lam; Mullaiththeevu district

Iyangkan-Aa'ru: Thu'nukkaay, Mullaiththeevu district

Thenniyan-ku'lam Aa'ru: Thu'nukkaay, Mullaiththeevu district

Pallavaraayan-kaddu-Aa'ru: Mullaiththeevu district

Chippi-Aa'ru: Moo'ndaam-piddi, Mannaar district

Pungkadi-Aaru: Moo'ndaam-piddi, Mannaar district

Ma'nal-Aaru or Parangki-Aa'ru: Mannaar district

Ma'nal-Aa'ru: Flowing from Tha'n'ni-mu'rippuk-ku'lam; Mullaiththeevu district

Naay-Aa'ru: Vidaththal-theevu, Mannaar district; another at Mullaiththeevu district

Uyilan-thu'ndi-Aa'ru: A stream flowing into a coastal Thu'ndi; Vidaththal-theevu, Mannaar district

Perung-ka'li-Aa'ru: A backwater river; Vidaththal-theevu; Mannaar district

Kai-Aa'ru: The branch-river; Musali, Mannaar district

Kal-kuzhi-Aa'ru: Musali, Mannaar district

Naruvili-Aa'ru: Musali, Mannaar district

Kal-Aa'ru: Vengalachcheddi-ku'lam, Mannaar district; also Kuchchave'li in Trincomalee district and in Batticaloa district

Periya-Aa'ru: Kokku'laay, Mullaiththeevu district

Chooriyan Aa'ru: Kokku'laay; Mullaiththeevu district

Kodikaddi-Aa'ru: Kaddukku'lam -pattu, Trincomalee district

Ku'lavi-Aa'ru: Kaddukku'lam-pattu, Trincomalee district

Kusavan-Aa'ru: Kaddukku'lam-pattu, Trincomalee district

Maddi-Aa'ru: Kuchchave'li, Trincomalee district

Pan-ku'lam- Aa'ru: Trincomalee district

Kittil-oottu-Aa'ru: Trincomalee district

Paalam-poadda-Aa'ru: Trincomalee district

Uppu-Aa'ru: Trincomalee district; also in Batticaloa district

Koddiyaara-Aa'ru: Trincomalee district

Kaddai-parichchaan-Aa'ru: Trincomalee district

Valai-vachcha-Aa'ru: Trincomalee district

Verukal-Aa'ru: Trincomalee district

Ve'l'lai-Aa'ru: Trincomalee district

Chempi-madu-Aa'ru: Batticaloa district

Maa-karaichchi-Aa'ru: Batticaloa district

Pearillaa-ve'li-Aa'ru: Batticaloa district

Vaazhaich-cheanai-Aa'ru: Batticaloa district

Navakkiri-Aa'ru: Batiicaloa district

Makizhavadduvaan- Aa'ru: Batticaloa district

Vanniyapattu-Aa'ru: Ampaa'rai district

Vearaiyadi-Aa'ru: Ampaa'rai district

Kagnchikudichchi-Aa'ru: Ampaa'rai district

Goi-pola-Aa'ru: Ampaa'rai district

Kirimæti-Aa'ru: Ampaa'rai district

Alakola Aara/ Alakola-Aa'ru: Ampaa'rai district

Kurunde-Aara: Hambantota district

First published: Saturday, 06 September 2014, 15:16