Know the Etymology: 424
Place Name of the Day: Monday, 02 November 2015

Katu-kæliyaawa, Maha-ke'liya, Kælæwa

க[ட்]டு கெ[æ]லியாவ,
மஹகெளிய,
கெ[æ]லெ[æ]வ
Kaṭu-kæliyāva, Mahakeḷiya, Kælæva

Katu+kæliyaawa
Maha+ke'liya
Kælæwa

The thorny jungle

The big forest

The forest

Ke'liya

also Kæliya, Kæli: seems to be a variation of Kælea: jungle, wood (Sinhala); Kæla: forest, multitude (Sinhala, Sorata); Kaal: forest (Tamil, DED 1418). See columns on Pinna-kele, Mooka'laana, Kos-golana and Pol-golla

Katu

(adjective) thorny, pungent, envious, fierce, impetuous, hot, displeasing, disagreeable (Sinhala); Katuwa: (singular), Katu (plural): thorn, anything with a sharp point, bone (Sinhala); Kadu: (noun) thorn, hornet (Tamil, Thivaakaram Lexicon 4:94, DED 1135); Kadu: (belongs to a special category of words called Urichchol) intense, sharp, speed, pungent, fierce, hot, indignant etc (Tamil, DED 1135); Kadderumpu: the black ant that has the sting (Tamil); Ka'nta: thorn (Sanskrit, Pali, CDIAL 2668); Ka'ntaka: thorn, anything pointed (Sanskrit, CDIAL 2668); Kaa'nta: having thorns (Sanskrit, CDIAL 3022). See column on Katu-pælælla

Keliya and Ke'liya, noticed in the toponymic usage of Sinhala place names, seem to be variations of the term Kælea and Kæla, meaning a forest or multitude of trees.

All the said terms could be taken as cognates of Kaal in old Tamil, meaning a forest and listed as Dravidian coming from the root Kaa (DED 1418). See earlier columns.

See columns on Katu-pælælla and Maa-do'la for etymological discussions on Katu and Maha respectively meaning thorn/ thorny and big.

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Katu-kæliyaawa is found as a place name in Nuwaragam Palatha division, Anuradhapura district; Rambewa division, Anuradhapura district; Mihintale division, Anuradhapura district; Palagala division, Anuradhapura district; Hingurakgoda division, Polonnaruwa district; Elahera division, Polonaruwa district;

Maha-ke'liya is in Bamunakotuwa division of Kurunegala district

Kælæwa is a place in Palugaswewa division of Anuradhapura district

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Some related place names:

Kelin-kanda: The jungle hill; Palindunuwara division, Kalutara district

Ang-ke'li-pitiya: Patahewaheta division, Kandy district

Mas-ke'liya: Probably, the jungle of Mas plants; Ambagamuwa division, Nuwara Eliya district. Mas: a plant called Undu, of the Flemingia family (Sinhala); also, Masan: a tree, Maha debara, Zizypus jujuba

Rana-keliya: The Rana (bamboo) forest; Thissamaharama division, Hambantota district

Maa-ke'liyaawa: The big forest; Kobeigane division, Kurunegala district

Ke'li-mu'nea: The forest end; Bamunukotuwa division, Kurunegala district

Kæli-panaa-wela: The paddy field of the forest of wild jack trees; Haldummulla division, Badulla district

Muthu-ke'liyaawa: The Muthu tree forest; Badalkumbura division, Moneragala district. Muthu: a kind of plant or tree, “Gas jaathiyak” (Sinhala, Sorata)

Kæli-væssa: The jungle dwelling; Badalkumbura division, Moneragala district


Kæle:

Maha-kælea: The big forest; Kandaketiya division, Badulla district

Kiriberiya-kælea: Probably, Kiri-beariya-kælea: the forest of the milk (getting) part; Homagama division, Colombo district. Beari: Kotasa, part (spoken Sinhala, Udarata, Sorata)

Kælæ-gedara: The jungle house; Divulapitiya division, Gampaha district; Bingiriya division, Kurunegala district

Pinna-kælea: The jungle found with Pinna (a medicinal) plants; Divulapitiya division, Gampaha district

Kælæ-piti-mulla: The jungle plain corner; Divulapitiya division, Gampaha district

Kaak-kælea: The forest of crows; Mirigama division, Gampaha district. Kaak: crow (Sinhala, Sorata)

Uyan-kælea: The flower-tree forest; or the royal garden forest; Panadura division, Kalutara district

Keles-gamuwa: The forest village; Millaniya division, Kalutara district

Hal-wala-kælea: The forest of the village called Hal-wala (an adjacent village, which itself means the Hal tree jungle); Walallavita division, Kalutara district

Kælæ-bokka: The forested creek; Panvila division, Kandy district

Madul-kælea: The Madul tree forest; Panvila division, Kandy district. Madu: False Sago Palm, Madol: a tree peculiar to the island, Garcinea echinocarpa (Sinhala)

Pallea-kælea: The lower forest; Kundasale division, Kandy district; Polpithigama division, Kurunegala district; Madampe division, Puththa'lam district

Katu-kælea: The thorny forest; Kandy Four Gravets division, Kandy district

Guru-kælea: The big forest or the red forest; Doluwa division, Kandy district

Labu-kælea: Probably equivalent to Labu-vana: the forest found with dense growth of Labu-wæl, a creeper (Sorata); Kothmale division, Nuwara Eliya district

Goana-kælea: The forest of elks; Hanguranketha division, Nuwara Eliya district

Wæwa-kælea: The forest of the tank; Walapane division, Nuwara Eliya district

Mul-hal-kælea: The main Hal-tree forest; Walapane division, Nuwara-Eliya district

Bambara-kælea: The forest of Bambara bees or beehives; Nuwara Eliya division, Nuwara Eliya district

Thalawaa-kælea: The forest of the high plain; Nuwara Eliya division, Nuwara Eliya district. Thalavu: “Us vu samatalaa tæna” (Sinhala, Sorata)

Kælea-gaala: The enclosure in the jungle; Nuwara Eliya division, Nuwara Eliya district

Thanga-kælea: Nuwara Eliya division, Nuwara Eliya district. Thangam: a coinage, denomination of money (Sinhala, Sorata); Thankam: pure gold (Tamil, DED 3013); tanka: a stamped coin (Sanskrit, CDIAL 5426)

Maa-ussaa-kælea: Maussakele: The forest of the big heights; Ambagamuwa division, Nuwara Eliya district

Kiri-wæl-kælea: The jungle of Kiri-kæl creepers; Pitabeddara division, Matara district

Para-gaha-kælea: The jungle of Para trees; Ampaa'rai division, Ampaa'rai district

Kælea-gama: Galgamuwa division, Kurunegala district; Kotavehera division, Kurunegala district; Wariyapola division, Kurunegala district; Thambuttegama division, Anuradhapura district; Dehiovita division, Kegalle district

Aran-kælea: The preserved forest; Ganewatta division, Kurunegala district. Aran: taken, having taken, preserved wilderness (Sinhala) Divula-kælea: The wood apple tree forest; Wariyapola division, Kurunegala district

Kælea-mulla: The jungle corner; Rideegama division, Kurunegala district

Kælea-wæwa: The tank in the forest; Nawagattegama division, Puththa'lam district

Searu-kælea: The forest of Seru trees; Pallama division, Puththa'lam district. Searu: Aidia garderi (Sinhala, National Red List, 2012)

Burutha-kælea: The forest of Burutha trees; Arachchikatuwa division, Puththa'lam district

Amba-kælea: The jungle or grove of mango trees; Arachchikatuwa division, Puththa'lam district

Damba-kælea: The jungle of Damba trees; Chilaapam division, Puththa'lam district

Weera-kælea-watta: The garden in the Weera tree forest; Chilaapam division, Puththa'lam district

Mora-kælea: The jungle of Mora trees; Nattandiya division, Puththa'lam district

Naa-kælea: The jungle of Naa trees; Nattandiya division, Puththa'lam district

Kælæ-nika-wæwa: The tank of Nika trees in the forest; Kahatagasdigiliya division, Anuradhapura district

Kælea-siyambala-wæwa: The tank of Tamarind trees in the forest; Thalawa division, Anuradhapura district

Kælea-divul-wæwa: The tank of wood apple trees in the forest; Thalawa division, Anuradhapura district

Kælea-puliyan-kulama: The tank of tamarind trees in the forest; Kekirawa division, Anuradhapura district

Ka'lu-kælea: The dark forest; Dimbulagala division, Polonnaruwa district

Wattea-kælea: The forest in the locality of the garden; Soranathota division, Badulla district

Wæwe-kælea: The forest of the tank; Passara division, Badulla district

Vihaara-kælea: The forest of the Buddhist monastery/ temple; Haputale division, Badulla district

First published: Monday, 02 November 2015, 07:30