Know the Etymology: 112
Place Name of the Day: Wednesday, 09 November 2016

Aṉṉaṅ-kai, Vattāk-kai

அன்னங்கை, வத்தாக்கை
Aṉṉaṅ-kai, Vattāk-kai

Aṉṉam+kai
Vattā+kai

The pond of the white migrant birds

The pond that doesn't become dry

Kai	seems to be shortened form of Kayam: deep natural pond, pool, watery ditch (Tamil, Caṅkam diction, Naṟṟiṇai, 232: 2; Puṟanāṉūṟu, 137: 5); depth, tank, water, sea (Tamil, DED 1251); Ayam: water, spring, tank, pond (Tamil, DED 188); Kaya: deep pool in rocks (Tamil, Brahmi inscription, c. 1st century BCE, Tirupparaṅkuṉṟam, Mahadevan p. 392)
Aṉṉam	various species of white migrant birds such as flamingo, goose, pelican etc. that come in flocks to water bodies in southern South Asia and return (Tamil, Caṅkam usage, Naṟṟiṇai 356: 1: 5; Akanāṉūṟu 234: 2-3; Akanāṉūṟu 334: 9-10); Kuṟuṅ-kāl-aṉṉam: short-legged Aṉṉam (Tamil, Caṅkam diction, Kuṟuntokai); Ceṅ-kāl-aṉṉam: red-legged Aṉṉam (Tamil, Caṅkam diction, Naṟṟiṇai 356: 1-5); Tutik-kāl-aṉṉam: the skin-footed Aṉṉam (Tamil, Caṅkam diction, Aiṅkuṟunūṟu 106: 5); Aṉṉam: species of swan (Tamil, MTL); MTL traces etymology to Hamsa: goose (Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit, CDIAL 13937)
Vattā	= Vaṟṟā: that doesn't dry up, perennial; opposite of Vaṟṟu: (verb) to become dry (Tamil, DED 5320); Batt: to go dry as a tank (Kodagu, DED 5320); Battu: to grow dry as a stream (Kannada, DED 5320); Vat: dries up as liquid (Kota, DED 5320); to parch (Kolami, DED 5320); Vatt, Vattānā: to dry up (Gondi, DED 5320);

Contextual evidence would show that the component Kai found in Eezham Tamil place names means a small pond or tank. See related place names for the association of the component with such water bodies, mostly small natural ponds.

The component Kai coming as suffix as well as prefix seems to be a shortened form of Kayam in Tamil/ Dravidian meaning a pond, depth or water (DED 1251). The usage example of such a shortened form Kaya or Kay meaning a deep pond in rocks could be seen in an early Tamil Brahmi inscription. In Jaffna, small natural ponds are caused by the collapse of limestone rock surface.

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Kayam meaning pond, depth and water:

"குளமும் ஆழமும் நீரும்…கயம் எனல்" (பிங்கலம், 10: 268)

"Kuḷamum āḻamum nīrum…kayam eṉal" (Piṅkalam, 10: 268)

Pond, depth and water…are called Kayam


The word form Kaya meaning pool:

"மாரயது கய" (Tirupparaṅkuṉṟam Tamil Brahmi inscription, c. 1st century BCE)

"Mārayatu kaya" (Tirupparaṅkuṉṟam Tamil Brahmi inscription, c. 1st century BCE)

The pool of Māra (this is a deep natural pool found in the rocks)

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Vattā, which is a colloquial form of Vaṟṟā in Tamil means not or never to become dry. This is a negative form of the Tamil/ Dravidian verb Vaṟṟu, meaning to become dry (DED 5320). The Ṟ/ T change that is colloquial in Tamil is regular in some other Dravidian languages (see box).

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In Tamil, Aṉṉam commonly means swan that is not native to the Tamil land. But in early Tamil usages, especially in the Caṅkam Tamil diction, the word was meaning the white migrant birds such as flamingo, goose, pelican etc. that were coming and going in flocks. It is common to see them inhabiting the water bodies of the island especially during winter. In some Eezham Tamil place names the word survives in its earlier sense of meaning (see related place names). MTL traces the etymology of Aṉṉam to Hamsa in Sanskrit (CDIAL 13937).

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Aṉṉam meaning migrant bird in early Tamil:

தென் கடல் மேய்ந்த…செங் கால் அன்னம்…இமயத்து உச்சி…வளராப் பார்ப்பிற்கு அலகு இரை ஒய்யும் (நற்றிணை, 356: 1-5)

"Teṉ kaṭal mēynta…ceṅ kāl aṉṉam…imayattu ucci…vaḷarāp pārppiṟku alaku irai oyyum" (Naṟṟiṇai, 356: 1-5)

The red-legged Aṉṉam preyed on (fish) in the southern sea would carry food on beak for its fledgling growing up in the heights of the Himalayas.

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Aṉṉaṅ-kai is a locality in Inuvil in Valikamam South division of Jaffna district. The pond that existed here before has become gardening land now.

Vattāk-kai is locality having a pond and a temple in Kantarodai in Valikamam South division of Jaffna district

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Some related place names:

Kayam:

Kayak-kaṉai: also Kayak-kaṇai: the pond side or the pond part; Kantarodai, Valikamam South, Jaffna

Kayaṭṭai: probably meaning the locality of the pond; a locality in Elalai, Valikamam South, Jaffna, (Balasundaram, p. 205)

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Kai:

Aluk-kai: also Aḷuk-kai: probably meaning the muddy pond or pond of the canal; this is a pond name and locality name in the course of Vaḷukkai-āṟu in Alaveddi, Valikamam North, Jaffna. Note the place names Alukkaṉ-kuḷam (near Cuṇṭikkuḷam, Vadamaratchi East, One Inch Sheet) and Aḷavakkai in Mannar district for either the mud meaning or canal meaning.

Piṉāk-kai: this is a pond name and locality name found in the course of Vaḷukkai-āṟu in Alaveddi, Valikamam North, Jaffna; meaning uncertain; probably meaning 'cavern pond'. Piṇa-u: cleft, crevice; Tamil Brahmi inscriptional usage traced to Piḷavu in Dravidian (Mahadevan p. 550). Natural cavern ponds caused by the collapse of limestone surface are common in Jaffna.

Māyak-kai: name of a perennial pond, limestone cavern and the surrounding locality in Alvay, Vadamaratchi Southwest, Jaffna; meaning uncertain. Probably, Māyāk-kai, meaning the pond that doesn't go dry

Paṇṭāk-kai: The pond of the Paṇṭar community; a locality in Uduppiddi, Vadamaratchi Southwest, Jaffna (Almanacs). Note the place names Paṇṭa-vil and Paṇṭa-teruppu

Pāṇaṅ-kai: The pond of the Pāṇar community; a locality in Maravanpulavu, Thenmaradchi, Jaffna

Vēlak-kai: a locality having a Piḷḷaiyār temple in Manipay, Valikamam Southwest, Jaffna; the pond meaning is uncertain in this context. Probably meaning the paddy-field pond. See Kai-veli

Kaip-paṟṟai: The pond thicket; a locality in Thunnalai, Vadamaratchi Northeast, Jaffna

Kai-vēli: The paddy field of the pond; Puthukkudiyiruppu, Mullaiththeevu (TN, 01.07.12)

Kallik-kai-kuḷam: a locality in Thunnalai, Vadamaratchi Northwest, Jaffna; probably, Kallik-kai: the rocky pond; Kuḷam was added later as in Nantā-vil-kuḷam (Vil itself means pond)

Araṅkaṇak-kai: a locality in Velanai, Kayts, Jaffna, (Balasundaram, p. 156). Meaning uncertain.

Ayaṉaṅ-kai: a locality in Usan, Thenmaratchi, Jaffna; meaning uncertain

Manti-kai: Point Pedro, Jaffna. Probably, Mantu-kai: the pond having a cattle-rubbing post; or Mantai-kai: the pond of the cattle herd; note the place name Mantu-vil

Kaitaṭi: probably, the pond locality; Thenmaratchi, Jaffna

Īccai Aḷavak-kai: The pond of the canal in the date palm surroundings; Manthai West, Mannar. Aḷava: canal. Note the place names Aḷavva and Aḷava-kuṁbura

Aḷavak-kai Veṭṭukkāṭu: the jungle-cleared paddy field of the canal-pond; Nanaddan, Mannar. See Īccai Aḷavak-kai

Aḷavak-kai Ciṟu-kuḷam: The small pond of the canal; Musali, Mannar. See Īccai Aḷavak-kai; Ciṟu-kuḷam is added as in Nantā-vil-kuḷam

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Vattā:

Vattāk-kai-maṭu: The pond/ tank that doesn't go dry; Manmunai Southwest, Batticaloa (One Inch Sheet). Maṭu was added as in Nantā-vil-kuḷam

Vattāp-paḻai: also Vaṟṟāp-paḻai: the pond that doesn't go dry; Karaithuraippattu, Mullaiththeevu

Vattā-maṭu: The tank that doesn't go dry; Karaithuraippattu, Mullaiththeevu

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Aṉṉam:

Aṉṉam-cetta-mōṭṭai: The pond/ tank, where the migrant birds died; Nanaddan, Mannar

Aṉṉa-malai: The hill of the migrant birds; Navithanveli, Amparai

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Revised: Wednesday, 09 November 2016, 21:39

First published: Tuesday, 04 November 2008, 03:07