Know the Etymology: 447
Place Name of the Day: Monday, 01 February 2016

Kaalinga-æ'la

காலிங்க₃-எ[æ]ள
Kāliṅga-æḷa

Kalinga+æ'la

The sluice canal or the canal made by a person from the Kalinga country

Æ'la	small watercourse, stream, “Kudaa jalamaargaya, Oya” (Sinhala, Sorata); Æla: small watercourse, “Diya basina kudaa maargaya” (Sinhala, Sorata); brook, rivulet, channel, canal (Sinhala, Clough); Æli: waterfall, “Kandu matin æta vætena jaladhaaraava (Sinhala, Sorata); Ælla: singular of Æli: waterfall, rapid (Sinhala, Clough, appendix); Hæli: cascade, waterfall, “Diya Ælla”; wave, “Ræ'la”; watercourse, “Æ'la” (Sinhala, Sorata); Æliya: ditch, drain, river (Sinhala, Clough); Aara: = Æ'la, watercourse (Sinhala, Sorata); river, way; “Ganga, Maargaya”, (Sinhala, Sorata); 1. Aa'ru: river, brook (Tamil, DED 5159, 'R/ 'L change); way, manner (Tamil, DED 405); 2. Aruvi: waterfall, hill steam (Tamil, DED 226, R/ L change); 3. Aali: raindrops, opening shower (Tamil, DED 384); (verb) to flow (Tamil, Appar Theavaaram, 5: 1: 1); from Aal: water, flood (Tamil, DED 384); 4: Aalu, Aali: (verb) to sound, roar, dance (Tamil, DED 386); 5. Alai: (verb) to wave; (noun) wave (Tamil, DED 240); 6. Adi: canal, channel (Brahmi inscriptions of the island, IC, I, 379, 822); Aadi: row, line, ridge (Sanskrit, CDIAL 1102); Aa'li, Aali: line, dam (Pali, CDIAL 1102); the canal meaning seems to be unrelated to IA but more connected to Dravidian through L/ D change; 7. A'lai: channel dugout in paddy fields etc for irrigation (Eezham Tamil); hole in the ground, hollow in tree (Tamil, DED 308); Aarai: channel dugout in paddy fields etc for irrigation (Eezham Tamil, Batticaloa); 8. Aazhi: the sea, from Aazh: (verb) be deep (Tamil, DED 396); 9. Akazh: (verb) to excavate; (noun) moat, tank, reservoir (Tamil, DED 11); Aga'lu: ditch, trench, moat (Tulu, DED 11); Agala: ditch, trench (Sinhala); See column on A'lawwa
Kalingu1	as in Kalingu-bændum, also Kalingula: sluice of a tank (spoken Sinhala, Sorata citing Codrington); Kalingku, Kalignchu, Kalungku: sluice or water-weirs for surplus vents (Tamil, DED 1309); Kalingkilu: sluice-weirs (Tamil, Thirunelveli dialect, DED 1309); Kalunku: culvert (Malayalam, DED 1309); Kalooju: sluice, floodgate (Telugu, DED 1309); Kalingnchu, Kalingku, Kalingkil: sluice, spill-gate (Tamil, inscriptions, respectively 881 CE, SII, xii, 65; c. 900 CE, EI, vii, 5; c. 1400 CE, TDI, I, 176); Kalangku: sluice (Tamil, Choo'laama'ni, 1673); Kalingku: sluice (Tamil, Cheevakasinthaama'ni, 12: 99); probably related to the root of Kal: the sound of rain, running water etc. (Tamil, onomatopoeia, Nedunalvaadai, 64); Kali: (verb) to sound, clamour, roar; (noun) sound (Tamil, DED 1302, Ku'runthokai, 264: 1); Kalangku: to be ruffled as water, stirred up, agitated (Tamil, DED 1303); Kaluzhi: flood, disturbed water (Tamil, DED 1303, Ku'rignchippaaddu, 178); fast-flowing forest stream (Tamil, Thivaakaram, 5: 48)
Kalingu2	the Kalinga country, a person of that country (Sinhala, Sorata); Kalingkam: the Kalinga country (Tamil)

Æ'la/ Æla, meaning a small watercourse, canal, stream etc. in Sinhala, has the cognates A'lai, A'lavakkai and Aarai in Eezham Tamil usages.

A word-form Adi is found in the Early Brahmi inscriptions of the island, meaning a canal or channel (Inscriptions of Ceylon, Vol I, 379, 822). This seems to be a Prakritized form of local terms through ZH/ 'L > D change. It is less likely to be the other way, as the corresponding word Aadi in Sanskrit or Aa'li in Pali are not directly connected to watercourse (see box).

On the other hand, the Dravidian cognates are directly relevant.

Sorata equates the term Æ'la to Aara in Sinhala, meaning watercourse, river and way, which corresponds to Aa'ru in Tamil/ Dravidian meaning the same (DED 5159, 'R/ 'L interchange in this instance).

Aal meaning water or flood in Tamil/ Dravidian (DED 384) and Aali meaning spring, shower or flow of water are another set of relevant cognates.

The etymon Aazh in Tamil/ Dravidian (DED 396), meaning to be deep, and Akazh, meaning to excavate (DED 11), corresponding to Akazhi meaning moat in Tamil, Aga'lu meaning ditch, trench, moat in Tulu, Agala meaning ditch trench in Sinhala and another Sinhala word Æliya meaning ditch, drain or river, are relevant in looking at the etymology of Æ'la/ Æla in the shade of its canal, channel or dug-out watercourse meanings.

* * *

The word Kalingu has two different meanings in Sinhala. It could mean the identity of the historical Kalinga country (the present day Odisha or Orissa) or it could mean the sluice of a tank.

As prefix in combination, Kalingu could become Kaalinga, and the Æ'la place name could either mean a canal made by a person of the Kalinga country or a canal coming from the sluice of a tank.

The Polonnaruwa region from where the canal name comes had Kalinga connections at a particular time in history. However, unless confirmed by historical records, the sluice meaning is the one that should be preferred, since the word in this meaning has been noted as a native technical term of common usage in the colonial glossaries.

Kalingu-bændum (Bændum: binding) and Kalingula (La is an affix here) are spoken Sinhala words meaning a sluice gate, notes Sorata's Sinhala dictionary.

Kalingku, Kalignchu and Kalungku are commonly used Tamil/ Dravidian words meaning sluice or spill gate of tanks (DED 1309).

The 'La' affix-added Sinhala word-form Kalingula is closer to southern Tamil Nadu usage Kalingkilu (DED 1309) and to the Tamil inscriptional usage Kalingkil (see box).

Kalingku seems to be related either to the Tamil/ Dravidian etymon, Kal for the sound of running water and Kali meaning roaring sound (DED 1302), or to the verb Kalangku, meaning the agitation of water and Kaluzhi in old Tamil meaning flood or fast-flowing forest stream (DED 1303). All are related to the flow of water through a sluice.

Note that both Kalingu and Vaan (terms for sluice and spill) are connected to canal names in the island. Note the place name Waan-æla under related place names. Also see column on Waan-a'luwaawa

* * *

Kalingku as sluice:

“Kariyamai chea'ru sinthik kalingkuka'l thi'rantha an'rea” (Cheevaka sinthaama'ni, 12: 99)

“கரியமை சேறு சிந்திக் கலிங்குகள் திறந்த அன்றே” (சீவக சிந்தாமணி, 12: 99)

Shedding dark silt, the sluices were opened


Kaluzhi as fast flow of agitated water:

“Nurai udaik kaluzhi paaythalin” (Ku'rignchippaaddu, 178)

“நுரை உடைக் கலுழி பாய்தலின்” (குறிஞ்சிப்பாட்டு, 178)

As Kaluzhi was flowing fast with foam

* * *

Kaalinga-æ'la is a canal as well as the name of the place where it flows in Thamankaduwa division of Polonnaruwa district

* * *

Some related place names:

While Æ'la/ Æla generally means canal or stream, in some of the place names the word could mean an adjacent place. See column on Æla-paatha for the usage in this meaning and its etymology

Æ'la-kanda: The hill of the stream or the adjacent hill; Wattala division, Gampaha district

Jaa-Æla: Ja-Ela division, Gampaha district. Jaa may be a shortened form of another word

Æla-doowa: The water surrounded place of the stream; or the adjacent water-surrounded place; Dodangoda division, Kalutara district

Rambukea-æ'la: The stream of Rambuk cane; Akurana division, Kandy district

Kadurugaha-æ'la: The stream of Kaduru trees; Akurana division, Kandy district

Pussea-æ'la: The dried-up watercourse; Udadumbara division, Kandy district

08-æ'la: The 8th canal; Minipe division, Kandy district

Rathmal-gaha-æ'la: The stream of Ratmal shrubs; Dambulla division, Matale district

Kaloa-gaha-æ'la: The stream of Kaloa shrubs; Dambulla division, Matale district. Kaloa: probably, Ka'la: a plant (Sorata); Ka'laa: Carissa carandas (Tamil)

Mee-gaha-æ'la: The stream of Mee trees; Naula division, Matale district

Koombiyan-gaha-æ'la: The stream of Koombiyan trees; Naula division, Matale district. Koombiyan: Kumbagasa (Sorata)

Æla-gamuwa: The adjacent village or the village of the stream; Naula division, Matale district; Polpithigama division, Kurunegala district

Mæda-æ'la: The middle stream or canal; Laggala-Pallegama division, Matale district

Raja-æ'la: Kothmale division, Nuwara Eliya district; Hingurakgoda division, Polonnaruwa district; Kantha'laay division, Trincomalee district

Bulu-æ'la: The stream of Bulu trees; Nuwara Eliya division, Nuwara Eliya district

Æla-kaaka: Bentota division, Galle district

Æl-thota: Balapitiya division, Galle district

Æ'la-ihala: The front part of the canal; Thawalama division, Galle district

Keembi-æ'la: The stream of Keembi trees: Baddegama division, Galle district. Keembi: Kuhumbuwaa: Kumbagasa (Sorata)

Kirindi-æ'la: The stream of Kirindi creepers or grass; Gonapeenuwala division, Galle district

Ælle-wela: The paddy fields of the stream or rapid/ waterfall; Akuressa division, Matara district

Ridee-æ'la: The silvery stream; Dehiattakandiya division, Ampaa'rai district. Ridee: silver (Sinhala)

Waan-æla: The spill canal; Kantha'laay division, Trincomalee district

Kæp-æ'la: Probably, the dugout canal; Galgamuwa division, Kurunegala district. Kæpuna: (adjective) cut (Sinhala)

Æla-waka: The stream part or the adjacent part; Nikaweratiya division, Kurunegala district

Kos-gaha-æ'la: The stream of jack trees; Polpithigama division, Kurunegala district

Raawaa-æ'la: The sounding stream; Polpithigama division, Kurunegala district. Raawa: sound, noice in general (Sinhala); Aaravaaram: loud noice, shouting, roaring, bustle (Tamil, DED 367); Rambhaa: sounding, roaring (Sanskrit, CDIAL 10634); Irai: roar as the sea (Tamil, DED 489); Irampal: roar of the sea (Malayalam, DED 489)

Para-gaha-æ'la: The stream of Para trees; Polpithigama division, Kurunegala district

Goraka-æ'la: The stream of Goraka trees; Rideegama division, Kurunegala district

Gal-bindina-æ'la: The canal cut by breaking rocks; Rideegama division, Kurunegala district

Bata-potha-æ'la: The stream of the range of Bata plants; Pannala division, Kurunegala district

Æ'la-bada-gama: The village of the stream bank or canal bank; Pannala division, Kurunegala district

Thammenne-Ælawaka: The canal of Thamenne or the adjacent part of Thammenne; Medawachchiya division, Anuradhapura district

Ælayaa-paththuwa: The canal division or the adjacent division; Nuwaragampalatha division, Anuradhapura district

Maha-æla-gamuwa: The bigger part of the canal village; Kekirawa division, Anuradhapura district

Kaagama 05 Æ'la: The 5th canal of Kaagama; Ipalogama division, Anuradhapura district

Yoadha-æ'la: The joining canal; Hingurakgoda division, Polonnaruwa district

Wæli-æ'la: The sandy stream; Lankapura division, Polonnaruwa district

Navagaha-æ'la: Dimbulagala division, Polonnaruwa district

Æla-hæra: The canal part; Elahera division, Polonnaruwa district

Haali-æla: Probably, the hill paddy cultivation stream; or Hæli-æla: the cold stream; Hali-Ela division, Badulla district

Umaa-æla: The subterranean canal; Uva Paranagama division, Badulla district

Æla-paatha: The adjacent part; Elapatha division, Ratnapura district

Nawanæliya: Nawan-æliya: the newly made canal; Deltota division, Kandy district

First published: Monday, 01 February 2016, 21:55