Know the Etymology: 223
Place Name of the Day: Sunday, 16 September 2012

Bamu’nu-gama, Changkaththaar-vayal

Bamuṇu-gama,
Caṅkattār-vayal

Bamu'nu+gama,
Changkaththaar+vayal

The Brahmin village

The paddy fields of the members of the Sangha

Bamu’nu	(plural), Bamu’naa (singular): Brahmin (Sinhala); Braahma’na: (Sanskrit); Piraama’nan, Paarppanan, Paarppaan, Paappaan (masculine); Paarppani, Paarppi, Paarppanaththi, Paarppaaththi, Paappaaththi (feminine): A member of the Brahmin caste (Tamil); Paarppu: The Brahmin caste (Tamil); Bomman: A term of mockery to refer to a Brahmin (Kannada)
Changkaththaar	People of the Sangha, Buddhist or Jaina clergy (Tamil); Changkam: Assembly, Buddhist or Jaina chapter (Tamil); Buddhist priests (Tamil, Winslow); Sangha, Sanghayaa: Multitude, number, collection, Buddhist priesthood, a convocation of priests, five of whom constitute a Sangha (Sinhala); Samgha: Close contact or combination, any collection, assemblage, crowd etc., any number of people living together for a certain purpose, a society, association, company, community, collective body or brotherhood of Buddhist or Jaina monks (Sanskrit); Sangha: A multitude, an assemblage, the Buddhist clergy (Pali); Changka-madaippa’l’li: A sub-caste of the Madaippa’l’li caste, the ancestors of which are said to be cooks to the ministers (Tamil, Madras Tamil Lexicon, recorded as Jaffna usage)
Vayal	Paddy field (Tamil, Malayalam, DED 5258); Vayalai: Open space, plain (Tamil, DED 5258); Bayalu, Bayilu, Baylu: Open space, field, plain (Kannada, DED 5258); Bayiloo, Bailoo: Fertile kind of rice field in low-land which can be easily irrigated (Tulu, DED 5258); Bayalu: Open space or field, plain, meadow (Telugu, DED 5258); Vaaya: Paddy field (Parji, DED 5258); field (Gondi, DED 5258); Bayalu: Field (Kuwi, DED 5258)
Gama	(singular), Gam (plural): Village (Sinhala); Gammaanea (singular), Gammaan (plural): Cultivated country, inhabited country in the neighbourhood of a village (Sinhala); Graama: An inhabited place, village, hamlet (Sanskrit); Gaama: A collection of houses, a hamlet, a parish or village having houses and distinct from the surrounding country (Prakrits); Gang and in sentences, Gamung, Gamah, Gamuge: Island, land, village, hamlet, domicile (Dhivehi/ Maldivian). See column on Valikaamam.

Bamu’naa in Sinhala means a Brahmin. In plural and in combinations the word will become Bamu’nu. These are Sinhalicised forms of the Sanskrit word Braahma’na.

In contrast, the Tamilised forms of the Sanskrit word range from Piraama’nan to Paappaan. Among them, the forms Paarppanan and Paarppaar are seen even in the earliest literary corpus, the Changkam literature (Ku’runthokai, 156:1; Pu’ranaanoo’ru, 34:3)

Kannada has a word form Bomman for Braahma’na, which is of closer comparison to the Sinhala form.

Sinhala place names with the component Bamu’nu or Bamu’naa show the presence of Brahmins in the old Sinhala society. The examples shown in the column come from Matara, Kandy and Kurunegala districts.

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Changkam is a Tamilised form of the Sanskrit word Samgha. It is Sangha in Prakrits, Pali and in Sinhala.

The original meanings of the word in Sanskrit are, close contact or combination, any collection, assemblage, crowd etc., any number of people living together for a certain purpose, a society, association, company, community etc.

With the formation of Buddhist and Jaina congregations of monks, the word became associated with the collective body or brotherhood of Buddhist or Jaina monks.

In Buddhism, Sangha or the congregation of monks is one of the Triple Gems, besides the Buddha and Dharma.

In the island of Sri Lanka, the word Sangha in its religious context is obviously associated with Buddhism and the earliest usage examples could be found in the Brahmi inscriptions of the island.

In Sinhala-Buddhist tradition, a minimum of five monks could constitute a Sangha.

In Tamil, the word Changkam was used in several shades of meaning. The earliest example of its Buddhist usage could be seen in the Tamil-Buddhist epic Ma’nimeakalai:


“Puththa thanma changkam ennum muththi’ra ma’niyai mummaiyin va’nangki” (Ma’nimeakalai, 30: 3-4)

“புத்த தன்ம சங்கம் என்னும் முத்திற மணியை மும்மையின் வணங்கி” (மணிமேகலை, 30: 3-4)

Worshipping three times the triple gem, i.e., Buddha, Dharma and Sangha


Even though there are many place-names in Eezham Tamil associated with its former Buddhist heritage, the place name Changkaththaar Vayal in Pachchilaippa’l’li in the Jaffna peninsula is a specific example for the endowment of paddy fields for the Sangha.

Adjacent to the paddy fields of Changkaththaar Vayal there is another stretch of paddy fields that is called Koayil-vayal (the paddy fields of the Hindu temple). This shows the parallel existence of the two faiths at this place in an earlier time.

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Vayal is a common Tamil word of Dravidian origin (DED 5258), meaning a paddy field.

The word also means an open place and it has cognates in several Dravidian languages.


“Akal vayal arivanar arinthum tharuvanar pettum tha’n chea’ru thaa-ay” (Natti’nai, 8: 5-6)

அகல் வயல் அரிவனர் அரிந்தும் தருவனர் பெற்றும் தண் சேறு தா-அய் (நற்றிணை, 8: 5-6)

Reaped by those who reap and received by those who pass the reaped bunches, the broad paddy field became a spread of mud


“ve’liyum cheyyum vayal en’ru aakum” (Pingkala Nika’ndu, 10: 998)

“வெளியும் செய்யும் வயல் என்று ஆகும்” (பிங்கல நிகண்டு, 10: 998)

Expanse and paddy field are called Vayal




Gama in Sinhala, a cognate of Graama in Sanskrit, means a village. See column on Valikaamam for discussions.

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Bamu’nu-gama as a village name is found in Mulatiyana division, Matara distrct, Mahava division, Kurunegala district and in Kobeigane division, Kurunegala district

Changkaththaar-vayal is a village of paddy fields in the Pachchilaippa’l’li division of Ki’linochchi district. The village is adjacent to another village of paddy fields called, Koayil-vayal, meaning the paddy fields of the temple

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Some related place names:

Bamu’nu/ Bamu’na:

Bamu’nu-mulla: The Brahmin’s corner; Bandaragama division, Kalutara district; Panduwasnuwara division, Kurunegala district

Bamu’nu-pola; The Brahmin’s place or open field; Poojapitiya division, Kandy district

Bamu’nu-gedara: The Brahmin’s house or premises; Kurunegala division, Kurunegala district; Weerambugedara division, Kurunegala district

Bamu’na-wala: The Brahmin’s jungle, or if it is Bamu’na-wela, the Brahmin’s paddy fields; Kurunegala division, Kurunegala district

Bamu’na-kotuwa: The Brahmin’s enclosure; this is a name of a division in Kurunegala district. There is also a village by the name in Wariyapola division of Kurunegala district

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Piraama’nan, Paappaan:

Piraama’nan-vayal: The paddy fields belonging to a Brahmin; Puthukkudiyiruppu division, Mullaiththeevu district

Piraama’na-aalang-ku’lam: The Brahmin part of the Aalangku’lam village; Vengkala-cheddiku’lam division, Vavuniyaa district. The place name differentiates another village in the division named as Paraiyan-aalang-ku’lam, meaning the Paraiyar part of the Aalang-ku’lam village.

Paappaa-moaddai: Probably, the tank of a Brahmin; Maanthai West division, Mannaar district. Paappaa could also mean the Baobab tree peculiar to Mannaar region. Paarppaara-pu’li or Pappara-pu’li, means the Pu’li tree from the Pappara country (Africa). Also note the place name, Aanaip-paappan, the Elephant Paappan, in Musal division of Mannaar district.

Paappaan-ku’lam: Probably, The tank of a Brahmin; Mannaar Town division, Mannaar district. Paappaa could also mean the Baobab tree peculiar to Mannaar region. Paarppaara-pu’li or Pappara-pu’li, means the Pu’li tree from the Pappara country (Africa). Also note the place name, Aanaip-paappan, the Elephant Paappan, in Musal division of Mannaar district. See column on Papparavap-piddi and Perukkadi-moaddai

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Changkam:

Changkaanai: Probably, the place of the Sangha, Valikaamam West division, Jaffna district

Changkaththaanai: Changkath-thaanam: The place of the Sangha; Thenmaraadchi division, Jaffna district

Changku-veali: If Changka-veali, it could probably mean the paddy fields of the Sangha.

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Vayal:

Vaariya-vayal: The paddy fields of the community, leased to cultivators annually in a draw or auction; Karaithu’raippattu division, Mullaiththeevu district. Such a practice of annual assignment of cultivation could still be seen with the paddy fields of the Thampalakaamam Koa’neasar temple in Trincomalee district. The first 10 feet of water of the Kantha’laay tank goes to the fields by convention. Vaaram: Hire, rent, lease of land for a share of the produce, share of the crop of a field, share, portion; Vaarakam: Advance given to cultivators to enable them to carry on cultivation, money lent on agreement to pay interest in kind (Tamil, DED 5359); Vaari: Income, produce (Tamil, Changkam Diction and inscriptions); Vaariyam: Village committees elected to look after various administrative affairs related to collection of taxes, cultivation, maintenance of the village tank etc. (Tamil inscriptions dating from 804 CE, South Indian Inscriptions, xiv, 37)

Kal-vayal: The paddy field in a stony terrain; Thenmaraadchchi division, Jaffna district

Kaddaadi-vayal: The paddy fields of a member of the washer community or the paddy fields of a shaman dancer; Maanthai West division, Mannaar district

Kariyal-vayal: The paddy fields in a dark soil terrain; Puthukkudiyiruppu division, Mullaiththeevu district, Karithu’rappattu division, Mullaiththeevu district

Amari-vayal: The paddy fields in the terrain grown with aloe; Kuchchave’li division, Trincomalee district

Mu’l’li-vayal: The paddy fields found with the Mu’l’li plant; Puthukkudiyiruppu division, Mullaiththeevu district

Pani-vayal: Probably the fields to cultivate the common millet or the fields alternately cultivated with the small variety of green gram; Karaithu’raippattu division, Mullaiththeevu district; Puthukkudiyiruppu division, Mullaiththeevu district. Pani-varaku: the common millet; Panip-paya’ru, also Vayal-paya’ru, Chi’ru-paya’ru: the field gram or a small variety of green gram. This crop is usually cultivated in the paddy fields, and is sawn in the winter (Pani) season, after the harvest of paddy. There is also a place name Panip-pulam, meaning the same as Pani-vayal, in the paddy field stretches between Chuzhipuram and Thiruvadinilai in Jaffna district.

Ma’niyakaaran-vayal: The paddy fields of a village headman or a temple trustee; Oddusuddaan division, Mullaiththeevu district.

Poothan-vayal: The paddy fields belonging to a person of the name Poothan; Karaithu’raippattu division, Mullaiththeevu district

First published: Sunday, 16 September 2012, 14:36