Know the Etymology: 376
Place Name of the Day: Monday, 03 November 2014

Kaddaik-kaadu, Katta-kaduwa

கட்டைக்காடு, கட்டகடு₃வ
Kaṭṭaikkāṭu, Kaṭṭakaḍuva

Kaddai+kaadu
Katta-kaduwa

The paddy cultivation enclosure in the jungle

The remote paddy cultivation enclosure

Kaddaikkaadu	a paddy field patch in the jungle or in a remote place, usually enclosed by wooden logs and barbed wire (Eezham Tamil, Vanni place names)
Kattakaduva	from Katta-kaadu: a remote or far away part of land for paddy cultivation, “Kumburaka wæven ææt vu koatasa” (spoken Sinhala, Sorata Nayaka Thera’s dictionary, the definition is given with a question mark)
Kaddai 1	also, Kaddu, Kaddi: enclosure (Eezham Tamil place names); from Kaddu: fence, boundary, construction, bund, dam, binding, consolidation (Tamil, DED 1147, 1148, 49). See column on Thoalai-kaddi, Naaval-kaddai
Kaddai 2	log, wooden post (Tamil, Thirumoolar 1677, inscription, 1004 CE, SII, vii, 440); Karuk-kaddai: the wooden posts erected in a fence for fixing barbed wire (Eezham Tamil, Batticaloa dialect, V.C. Kanthaiya, 1964, p. 122, Karu: spike, barb, DED 1265); Kattha: wood (Pali, Prakrit, CDIAL 3120); Kaashtha: piece of wood (Sanskrit, CDIAL 3120)
Kaadu	forest, jungle, desert, paddy field as in the phrase Vayal-kaadu, (Tamil, DED 1438)
Kaduwa	also Kadu: forest (Sinhala, Sorata)
Katta 1	from Kattu: part, division, “Kotasa,” demarcating ridge or bund, “Vævniyara,” (Sinhala, Sorata). See Kaddai 1 for etymology
Katta 2	log, stick, wooden post, pillar, (Sinhala, Sorata). See Kaddai 2 for etymology

Kaddaik-kaadu is an Eezham Tamil place name phrase noticed especially in Vanni. The term means a paddy field enclosure in the jungle or in a remote area. Most of them come from Mannaar district and their association with individual names show the origin and ownership of such remote cultivation patches (see related place names).

The word Kaadu in Tamil/ Dravidian, apart from meaning a jungle, also means a paddy field in phrases such as Vayal-kaadu (DED 1438). Such a usage is especially noticed among people in jungle cultivation tracts, in Tamil Nadu too.

The paddy field patches brought under cultivation in the jungles of Vanni are usually enclosures, fenced by heavy wooden posts fixed with barbed wire.

In Eezham Tamil place names, Kaddai and Kaddi mean an enclosed plot of land or defined plot of land. The words are related to Kaddu, which means fence, boundary, binding, bund, construction, consolidation etc., and is listed as Tamil/ Dravidian (DED 49, 1147, 1148). See column on Thoalai-kaddi, Naaval-kaddai.

However, in the context of Kaddaik-kaadu, Kaddai could also mean the wooden posts fencing the enclosure. Kaddai, in meaning a wooden post or log, was in Tamil usage since early literature and inscriptions, but it is a word of Indo-Aryan etymology, related to Kaashtha in Sanskrit and Kattha in Pali/ Prakrit (CDIAL 3120).

Kaddaik-kaadu, in its Eezham Tamil toponymic sense of meaning, doesn’t find entry in Tamil dictionaries, but an entry of its Sinhalicised form is found in Sorata Nayaka Thera’s Sinhala dictionary.

For the entry Katta-kaadu, Sorata gives the meaning with a question mark that it is a remote plot of land for paddy cultivation (“kumburaka væven ææt vu koatasa”).

Sorata’s entry also helps to find toponymic sense of meaning for the Sinhala place name Katta-kaduwa. Seen in the dry zone part of the island, Katta-kaduwa seems to be the same as Kaddaik-kaadu.

Kaadu in Tamil/ Dravidian and Kadu/ Kaduwa occurring commonly in Sinhala place names are cognates in meaning jungle. (Sorata gives the meaning “Vanaya” for Kadu). See boxes above for Katta in Sinhala tallying with Kaddai in Tamil.

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Kaddaik-kaadu comes as a place name in Puthukkudiyiruppu division of Mullaiththeevu district and in Ka’ndaava’lai division of Ki’linochchi district.

Katta-kaduwa is found in Munthal division of Puththa’lam district, Galagamuwa division of Kurunegala district and in Tangalle division of Hambantota district.

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Some related place names:


Kaddaik-kaadu

Periya Kaddaik-kaadu: The big, remote paddy field enclosure; Naanaaddaan division, Mannaar district

Ka’l’lik-kaddaik-kaadu: The remote paddy field enclosure fenced by Ka’l’li (cactus) plants; Mannaar Town division, Mannaar district

Gaspar-kaddaik-kaadu: The remote paddy field enclosure owned by a person Gaspar; Naanaaddaan division, Mannaar district

Mangkaippi’l’lai Kaddaik-kaadu: The remote paddy field enclosure owned by a person Mangkaip-pi’l’lai; Naanaaddaan division, Mannaar district

Chaampan kaddaik-kaadu: The remote paddy field enclosure owned by a person of Chaampaan (Pa’raiya) community; Naanaaddaan division, Mannaar district

Chi’ru-chaampan Kaddaik-kaadu: The smaller part of the remote paddy field enclosure owned by a person of Chaampaan (Pa’raiya) community; Naanaaddaan division, Mannaar district

Chooriya Kaddaik-kaadu: The remote paddy field enclosure owned by a person Sooriya; Naanaaddaan division, Mannaar district

Chooriya Kaddaik-kaadu Vedduk-ku’lam: The dug-out tank of the remote paddy field enclosure owned by a person Sooriya; Naanaaddaan division, Mannaar district

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Kaddai meaning an enclosure, perhaps as a shortened form of Kaddaik-kaadu:

Mazhavaraayar-Kaddai-adampan: The paddy field enclosure part of Mazhavaraayar in Adampan (a large divisional identity in old times); Madu division, Mannaar district

Cheddiyaar Makan Kaddai-adampan: The paddy field enclosure part of the son of a merchant in Adampan; Naanaaddaan division, Mannaar district

Malaiya’ruththaan Kaddai-adampan: The paddy field enclosure part of a person named Malaiya’ruththaan in Adampan; Naanaaddaan division, Mannaar district

Vedduk-kaddai: The paddy field enclosure cleared after cutting trees; or the plot to cut trees; a locality in Ka’ndaava’lai, Ki’linochchi

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Kaddai meaning an enclosure for cultivation or simply an enclosure/ plot of land in Jaffna:

Payirak-kaddai: The enclosure or plot of crops; or the enclosure or plot found with Payiri herb; A locality in Kokkuvil, Jaffna district (name noted by E. Balasundaram, 2002, p.105)

Paying-kaddai: probably the same as Payirik-kaddai; A locality in Kokkuvil, Jaffna district (E. Balasundaram, 2002, p.105)

Mullaik-kaddai: The enclosure or plot found with Mullai shrub or trees; A locality in Kokkuvil, Jaffna district (E. Balasundaram, 2002, p.105); also a locality in A’laveddi, Jaffna district (E. Balasundaram, 2002, p 189)

Naaval-kaddai: The enclosure or plot of land found with Naaval trees; a locality in Koappaay in Valikaamam East division of Jaffna district. There is another Naaval-kaddai in A’laveddi in Valikaamam North division of Jafnna district (name noted by E. Balasundaram, Eezhaththu Idappeyar Aayvu, Jaffna District, 2002, p252, p189).

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Kaddai coming as enclosed paddy field or as wooden posts for fence:

Kaddai-veali: The enclosed paddy field (Veali meaning paddy field); or The fence of wooden posts (Veali meaning fence); Vadamaraadchi Southwest division, Jaffna district

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Kaddai meaning a dam or bund:

Kaddai-aa’ru: The dammed stream; or the stream coming from the dam; Ki’n’niya division, Trincomalee district

Katta-murichchaana: Kaddai-mu’richchaan: The river or tank that breached the dam; Thirapane division, Anuradhapura district

Kaddai-parichchaan: The river that breached the bund; Moothoor division, Trincomalee district

First published: Monday, 03 November 2014, 22:25