Know the Etymology: 395
Place Name of the Day: Monday, 16 March 2015

Naayanmaar-kaddu, Naayanaar-koayil, Naayiniyaar-kollai

நாயன்மார் கட்டு, நாயனார் கோயில், நாயினியார் கொல்லை
Nāyaṉmār-kaṭṭu, Nāyaṉār-kōyil, Nāyiṉiyār-kollai

Naayanmaar+kaddu
Naayanaar+koayil
Naayiniyaar+kollai

The residence or mansion of the lords

The temple of the (warrior hero/ guardian) deity

The grove of the (folk) goddess or the grove of the lady

Naayanmaar	lords, masters, leaders (Tamil, MTL); gods (Tamil, MTL); Saiva saints (Tamil, MTL, Periyapuraa'nam 4; inscription, 1462 CE, TAS, I, p. 99-102); a kind of male guardian deities in folk worship, probably coming from ancestor hero cults (Eezham Tamil, Thirukkoa'naasala Vaipavam, Akileasapi'l'lai, 1889); Naayan: God, king, master, lord (Tamil, MTL); Naayakan: leader, presiding person, god, Siva, king, husband, soul (Tamil, Chilappathikaaram, 10: 180; Thirumoolar 884; Theavaaram); Naayakanmaar: leaders, lords, ruling families, aristocratic families (Tamil, inscriptions, 809 CE, SII, xiv, 40): 1. Naaya: a leader, guide (Sanskrit, Rig Veda, Monier Williams); from the root Nee: leading, guiding (Sanskrit, Monier Williams); Nayana: leading (Sanskrit, CDIAL 6967); Naayaka: leader, master (Pali); Naayakayaa: chief, leader, commander, person of eminence, guide (Sinhala); 2. Naathan: master, lord, superior, husband, teacher, sage, God, Siva, Buddha, Jina (Tamil, MTL, Paripaadal, 8: 7; Ma'nimeakalai, 11: 74; 12: 102: 3; 25: 93; Thirumoolar: 1218); Naatha: refuge, help (Atharva Veda); protector, master (Sanskrit, CDIAL 7051);
Naayanaar	lord, master, God, Siva, title of Saiva saints, title of certain castes such as Chainar, Kaikoa'lar, Udaiyaar and a section of Vea'laa'lar (Tamil, MTL)
Naayiniyaar	feminine form of Naayanaar (Eezham Tamil, place name); equivalent to Naachchiyaar, Naachchi, Naaychchi: lady, matriarch, leading woman, ruling woman, queen, goddess, Parvati, female folk deities (Tamil, MTL, inscriptions)
Kaddu	enclosure, structure, residence, mansion, (Tamil, DED 1147). See earlier columns
Koayil	palace, temple (Tamil, DED 2177); from Koa+il (Tamil DED 2177 + DED 494). See column on Koavila Muduna
Kollai	forest, grove (Tamil, Natti'nai, 266: 1); forest cultivation field (Tamil, Ku'runthokao, 141: 3-4); Kaal: forest (Tamil, DED 1418); Choalai: grove, garden (Tamil, DED 2891). See column on Pol-golla

In Tamil usage, the words Naayanmaar and Naayanaar have different shades of meanings such as lords, masters, leaders, sages, gods and Saiva saints.

In the context of Naayanmaar-kaddu, Naayanmaar seems to be meaning feudal lords or warlords, since Kaddu means residence or residential mansion, as in Poopaalak-kaddu in Trincomalee.

In yet another shade of meaning peculiar to Eezham Tamil, Naayanmaar also means a kind of guardian deity or guardian deities of collective identity that have probably come from the ancestor hero cults of warrior guilds.

Thirukkoa'naasala Vaipavam of Akileasapi'l'lai, written in 1899, places Naaya(n)maar as guardian deities of the dam of the Kantha'laay tank, along with A'n'namaar, Vathanamaar, Mangkalar, Kaa'lamaamuni, Ilangkaich Chanthikaavalar, Eazhu Raasaakka'l, Vairavak-kooddangka'l, Kaa'li and Paththini.

The context suggests that Naayanmaar, like A'n'namaar, Cheavukar, Kooddaththaar etc., were ancestor heroes of warrior guilds turned into collective guardian deities. Note that Naayanaar was also a title of castes such as Kaikkoa'lar of the warrior guild traditions.

In place names like Naayanaar-koayil and Naayanmaar-koayil, the prefixes mean folk deities.

The feminine form Naayiniyaar seems to be an Eezham Tamil construct. The standard feminine form for Naayanaar in Tamil is Naachchiyaar.

The etymology of Naayanmaar/ Naayanaar could be traced to either Naaya in Rig Vedic Sanskrit, meaning a leader, or to Naatha, meaning a protector or master in Sanskrit.

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Naayakanmaar as ruling lords:

“In naadaa'lu naaddu naayakanmaar” (Tamil inscription, 809 CE, SII, xiv, 40)

“இந் நாடாளு நாட்டு நாயகன்மார்” (Tamil inscription, 809 CE, SII, xiv, 40)

Country lords ruling this country

Naaya[n]maar as guardian deities:

“A'n'namaar, Vathanamaar, Naayamaar, Mangkalar, Kaa'lamaamuni, Ilangkaich chanthikaavalar muthaliyavarka'laiyum, Eazhu Raasaakka'laiyum Vairavak kooddangka'laiyum, Kaa'li, Paththini muthaliyavarka'laiyum ku'lakkaddil kaavalaaka ni'ruththi” (Thirukkoa'naasala Vaipavam, V. Akileasapi'l'lai, 1889)

“அண்ணமார், வதனமார், நாயமார், மங்கலர், காளமாமுனி, இலங்கைச் சந்திகாவலர் முதலியவர்களையும், ஏழு ராசாக்களையும் வைரவக் கூட்டங்களையும், காளி, பத்தினி முதலியவர்களையும் குளக்கட்டில் காவலாக நிறுத்தி” (திருக்கோணாசல வைபவம், வே. அகிலேசபிள்ளை, 1889)

A'n'namaar, Vathanamaar, Naayamaar, Mangkalar, Kaa'lamaamuni, Ilangkaich Chanthikaavalar, Eazhu Raasaakka'l, Vairava bands, Kaa'li and Paththini were placed as guardian deities at the dam (of the Kantha'laay tank)

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Naayanmaar-kaddu is a locality in Nalloor division of Jaffna district.

Naayanaar-koayil is a temple name in Ward 3 of Pungkudutheevu Island, Kayts division, Jaffna district (Hindu Affairs dept., temple records).

Naayiniyaar-kollai is a locality name in Tho'ndaimaanaa'ru, in Vadamaraadchi North division of Jaffna district (Balasundaram p.63).

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Some related place names:

Malaiyadi-Naayanmaar-koayil: The temple of the (warrior hero/ guardian) deities at the mound; Pungkudutheevu Ward 10, Kayts division, Jaffna district (Hindu Affairs dept., temple records)

Malaiyadi-Naachchimaar-koayil: The temple of the (heroine/ guardian) goddesses at the mound; Pungkudutheevu Ward 9, Kayts division, Jaffna district (Hindu Affairs dept., temple records).

Naayanmaar-madam: The resting place built by the lords; Gnaani Madam, Poonakari, Ki'linochchi district (Hindu Affairs dept., temple records)

Naayanmaar-thidal: The open ground associated with Naayanmaar; A locality in Thampalakaamam, Trincomalee district. This is a place where certain folk rituals take place.

Naathanaar-koayil: The local Tamil name for the ancient Buddhist temple, Velgam Vihara (Veala-kaama-pa'l'li or Raja Rajap Perum Pa'l'li), Trincomalee district

First published: Monday, 16 March 2015, 11:56