Know the Etymology: 482
Place Name of the Day: Wednesday, 27 July 2016

Valave-vatta, Kāṭṭu-vaḷavu

வலவெ-வத்த, காட்டு-வளவு
Valave-vatta, Kāṭṭu-vaḷavu

Valavu+vatta
Kāṭṭu+vaḷavu

The grove of the noble person’s house and premises

The premises/landed property located in the wilderness or in the cultivation tract

Valavu

also Valavuva: the house of a headman or person of distinction (Sinhala, Clough); a high-ranking householder’s residence; “Usas gihiyan vasana gṛhaya,” (Sinhala, Sorata); related to Vaḷavu, Vaḷaivu; see box below

Vaḷavu

compound, premises of a house, landed property usually enclosed (Eezham Tamil); house (Tamil, MTL, Peruṅkatai, 64: 77); Vaḷaivu: house premises (Tamil, MTL); enclosed landed property (Tamil, southern Tamil Nadu usage, Putumaippittaṉ, Aṉṉai Iṭṭa Tī); Vaḷaical, Vaḷaippu: enclosure, courtyard (Tamil, DED 5313); Vaḷaippu-akam: house (Tamil, Periyāḻvār, 5: 1: 5); Vaḷākam: campus, the earth as surrounded by sea (Tamil, Puṟanāṉūṛu, 189: 1); Vaḷappu: enclosure of a house, compound (Malayalam, DED 5313); Vaḷe: campus (Tamil, inscription, 691 CE, SII, i, 151); Vaḷai: campus (Tamil, inscription, 900 CE, SII, v, 679); Vaḷāl: a term for land (Tamil, inscription, TAS, ii, p. 173-207); from Vaḷai: (verb) to surround; (noun) circle, surrounding region, bangle, bracelet (Tamil, DED 5313); See columns on Muḷḷiya-vaḷai, Kal-vaḷai

Vaḷavu is a common term in Eezham Tamil usage, meaning a compound, premises of a house or a landed property that is usually enclosed.

Vaḷaivu is the term noticed in southern Tamil Nadu usage and Vaḷappu is found in Malayalam. Vaḷaiccal, Vaḷaippu, Vaḷaippu-akam and Vaḷākam could be found in Tamil literary usages, and Vaḷe, Vaḷai and Vaḷāl are found in Tamil inscriptions.

The verb root in Tamil/ Dravidian is Vaḷai, meaning to surround (DED 5313).

In Sinhala, the term Valavu is specifically applied to the residence of a feudal lord or a high-ranking person. Such a residence is usually a mansion or grand house having big, enclosed premises.

See earlier columns for Kāṭu meaning jungle, wilderness or a cultivation land in Tamil and Vatta meaning a grove or garden in Sinhala.

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Valave-vatta is a place in Ambalantota division of Hambantota district

Kāṭṭu-vaḷavu is in Puthukkudiyiruppu division of Mullaiththeevu district

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Some related place names:

Valavu:

Valav-vatta: Seethawaka division, Colombo district; Mirigama division, Gampaha district; Galle Four Gravets division, Galle district

Valavve-gama: Ipalogama division, Anuradhapura district

Valava: Hambantota division, Hambantota district

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Vaḷavu:

Vāri-vaḷavu: Kaarainakar division, Jaffna district. Vāri: pond, a personal name suffix or probably a shortened form of Vāriyam

First published: Wednesday, 27 July 2016, 17:18