Know the Etymology: 415
Place Name of the Day: Thursday, 06 August 2015

Cheena-koratuwa

சீன கொர[ட்]டுவ
Cīṉa-koraṭuva

Cheena+koratuwa

The Chinese enclosure

Koratu

enclosure (Sinhala, Clough); “Kotuwa, Wætakin vata ka'la tæna” (spoken Sinhala, Sorata); Koratuwa: a sort of fence in order to prevent cattle trespass (Sinhala, Clough); from the type of fences made of wooden logs and planks; Ko'radu: Trunk of a lopped tree, stump, piece of wood (Kannada, Telugu DED 1842); Ku'radu: block of wood, wooden plank (Tamil, Malayalam, DED 1842); Koradoo: log, stump (Tulu, DED 1842); Ku'randu: log (Malayalam, DED 1842); Ku'r'ri: log of wood (Tamil)

Cheena

China, related to China (Sinhala)

Koratu and Koratuwa in Sinhala mean an enclosure or fence usually made of logs, poles and planks of wood, in order to prevent cattle trespass.

The Sinhala term corresponds to cognates, Ko'radu, Koradoo, Ku'radu and Ku'randu in Dravidian (DED 1842), meaning log, stump or trunk of trees and plank or block of wood (see box). Cognates in Tulu and Kannada are closer to Sinhala.

Ku'radu directly meaning a log or block of wood in Tamil is found only in old literature. But Ku'radu meaning a veranda platform could still be heard. Originally such platforms were made of logs or wooden planks. Another related word still used in Tamil is Ku'r'ri, meaning a wooden log.

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Cheena-koratuwa is a place in Galle Four Gravets division of Galle district.

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Some related place names:

Cheena-Kotuwa: The Chinese enclosure; Beruwala division, Kalutara district

Cheenan-kaladdi: The stone outcrop locality of a Chinese; A'laveddi, Jaffna district

Cheenan-kaladu: The stone outcrop locality of a Chinese; Veala'nai, Jaffna district

Cheenan-kudaa: The China Bay; Trincomalee Town and Gravets division, Trincomalee district

Cheenan-vaadi: The camp or settlement of Chinese; Trincomalee Town and Gravets division, Trincomalee district

First published: Thursday, 06 August 2015, 21:21