Know the Etymology: 416
Place Name of the Day: Monday, 31 August 2015

Del-wagura, Waguru-wela

தெ₃ல் வகு₃ர,
வகு₃ரு வெல
Del+wagura
Waguru+wela

The recently developed paddy field in the muddy or deep area; or the muddy/ deep-ground paddy field having wild breadfruit trees

The paddy field in the muddy or deep ground

Wagura	(singular), Waguru: (plural and combinations): slough, marsh, the deep part of a paddy field (Sinhala, Clough); the area of muddy paddy field, “Mada sahita kumburu pedesa” (spoken Sinhala, Sorata); probably, Wak-kumburu (trough-like paddy field); Wak, Wakka, Wangka: bent, curved (Sinhala); Wak-diya: water in paddy fields (Sinhala); Wak-kalama: deep place in a river where water is nearly stagnant and bends to another direction (Sinhala); Wak-kada: the passage in the baulk of bund of a field to let excess water flow from higher to lower field (Sinhala); Vangku: hole, hollow (Tamil, DED 5212); Vaangku: to bend, sink, subside, move to one side (Tamil, DED 5335); Vakku: water trough (Tamil, Jaffna Dictionary, MTL); Vakkaddai: outlet for surplus water (related to Wak-kada in Sinhala, Tamil, Jaffna Dictionary, MTL)
Del1	wild breadfruit, Artocarpus nobilis (Sinhala); Dala: lump (Sanskrit, Prakrit, CDIAL 5536); Thira'l: (verb) to become round, globular; (noun) ball, globe, round mass (Tamil, DED 3245)
Del2	probably shortened from Del-pata: recently developed paddy field, = Aswæddum (spoken Sinhala, Sorata); from Dalu-potha: a paddy field recently brought under cultivation (Sinhala). See column on Dalu-potha-gama for etymology.
Wela	paddy field (Sinhala); Veali: paddy field (Tamil, Changkam Diction, related to DED 5538)

The word Wagura/ Waguru in Sinhala means a marsh, slough, the deep part of a paddy field or a muddy paddy field area. Clough gives the first three meanings and Sorata comes out with the last one.

Wagura seems to be basically meaning a pit-like landscape and is related to the other Sinhala words, Wangka, Wakka, Wak etc., meaning curve and depth. Note the related Sinhala phrases in the box. Etymological relationship could be traced to Vangku and Vaangku in Tamil/ Dravidian (DED 5312, 5335) and to Vakku in Eezham Tamil. CDIAL 11191 notes probable non-Aryan origin for Vanku and Vanka in Sanskrit.

Del in Sinhala usually means wild breadfruit. The name has probably come from the shape of the fruit and is probably related to Dala meaning lump in Sanskrit (CDIAL 5536) or Thira'l meaning ball, globe, round mass etc., in Tamil/ Dravidian (DED 3245).

However, in the context of the place name Del-wagura, there is a probability that Del is a shortened form of the spoken Sinhala phrase, Del-pata, meaning a recently developed paddy field (Sorata). Probably the field was developed at a marshland.

Del-pata seems to be a spoken form of Dalu-potha of the same meaning. See column on Dalu-potha-gama for etymological discussion.

See earlier columns for etymological discussions on Wela meaning a paddy field in Sinhala.

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Del-wagura is in Divulapitiya division of Gampaha district.

Waguru-wela is a place in Pannala division of Kurunegala district. There is another Waguru-wela in Buttala division of Moneragala district.

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Some related place names:

Del-wala: The forest of wild breadfruit trees; Mirigama division, Gampaha district; Nivithigala division, Ratnapura district

Maa-del-gamuwa: The bigger village of wild breadfruit trees; Minuwangoda division, Gampaha district

Del-goda: The bank/ hill/ village of wild breadfruit trees; Biyagama division, Gampaha district; Millaniya division, Kalutara district; Kalawana division, Ratnapura district

Del-mælla: Bulathsinhala division, Kalutara district. Probably from Mæla: burnt rubbish heap or bank, “Pilisseemata ek ka'la dara ku'nurodu aadi goda” (Sinhala, Sorata)

Del-dora-watta: The garden sided by wild breadfruit trees; Millaniya division, Kalutara district. Dora: Addara, Sameepaya, Midula (Sinhala, Sorata)

Del-kada; The wild breadfruit forest; or the piece of land having wild breadfruit trees; Millaniya division, Kalutara district

Del-doova: The water-surrounded place of wild breadfruit trees; Kalutara division, Kalutara district; Hikkaduwa division, Galle district

Del-gas-yaaya: The expanse of wild breadfruit trees; Thumpane division, Kandy district

Del-gas-goda: The bank/ hill/ village of wild breadfruit trees; Akurana division, Kandy district

Del-gas-thænna: The high plain of wild breadfruit trees; Akurana division, Kandy district

Del-gas-landa: The high ground low jungle of wild breadfruit trees; Kundasale division, Kandy district

Del-de'niya: The valley of wild breadfruit trees; Yatinuwara division, Kandy district; Udunuwara division, Kandy district; Rambukkana division, Kegalle district

Del-gaha-pitiya: The raised ground plain of wild breadfruit trees; Udunuwara division, Kandy district; Hanguranketha division, Nuwara Eliya district

Del-tota: The ferry point of wild breadfruit trees; Deltota division, Kandy district

Del-golla: the forest or grove of wild breadfruit trees; Yatawatta division, Matale district

Del-kabala-goda: The bank/ hill/ village of the wild breadfruit-growing piece of land; Bentota division, Galle district

Del-poana: Elpitiya division, Galle district. Probably, Del-pane

Dellawa: The place of wild breadfruit trees; Neluwa division, Galle district

Del-gaha-doowa: The water-surrounded place of wild breadfruit trees; Hikkaduwa division, Galle district

Del-galla: The rock or rocky hill of wild breadfruit trees; Devinuwara division, Matara district; Polgahawela division, Kurunegala district

Del-golla-watta: The garden in the forest or grove of wild breadfruit trees; Mawathagama division, Kurunegala district

Del-paddana: Probably, the place of wild breadfruit trees; or the place recently developed for cultivation; Mawathagama division, Kurunegala district. Pada: place; Del+pat+tana; Del-pat: “Aswæddum” (Sinhala, Sorata)

Del-vita: The hill of wild breadfruit trees; Rideegama division, Kurunegala district

Delana: The place of wild breadfruit trees; Kuliyapitiya West division, Kurunegala district

Del-nea-gama: The village abounding with wild breadfruit trees; Thambuttegama division, Anuradhapura district. Nea: many (Sinhala)

Del-gamuwa: The village of wild breadfruit trees; Kuruvita division, Ratnapura district; Warakapola division, Kegalle district

Della-bada: The field of wild breadfruit trees; Elapatha division, Ratnapura district

Del-paa-kadawara: The forest precincts of wild breadfruit verdure; or the forest precincts having a grove of breadfruit trees; Divulapitiya division, Gampaha district. Also. Del-pak: = Delpat: “Aswæddum” (Sinhala, Sorata)

First published: Monday, 31 August 2015, 18:38