Know the Etymology: 24
Place Name of the Day: Sunday, 23 April 2017

Kal-vayal, Ciṟutēṉ-kal, Veṭi-vaitta-kallu, Kallan-tāḻvu, Kaṟ-kuḻi

கல்வயல், சிறுதேன்கல், வெடிவைத்தகல்லு, கல்லந்தாழ்வு, கற்குழி
Kal-vayal, Ciṟutēṉ-kal, Veṭi-vaitta-kallu, Kallan-tāḻvu, Kaṟ-kuḻi

Kal+vayal
Ciṟu+tēṉ+kal
Veṭi+vaitta+kallu
Kal+am+tāḻvu
Kal+kuḻi

The stony paddy field

The rock-mounds to get honey gathered by a small kind of honeybees

The rocks that were blasted by explosives

The stony low-lying ground

The rock pit or the rock pond

Kal	stone, pebble, boulder, rock, hill, mountain, rocky terrain, precious stone, crystal as salt, red ochre, gravel, grit, milestone, memorial stone, brick, building stone, rock-cave, rock-bed made for monks, anvil-stone, anchor-stone, sluice-stone, touchstone, boundary-stone (Tamil, DED 1298, MTL, Early Tamil Epigraphy, Glossary of Tamil Inscriptions, Glossary of Historical Tamil Literature); cognates in 15 Dravidian languages including Brahui of Pakistan); Gal: stone, rock, hard thing, hill, mountain, precious stone (Sinhala, Sorata, Clough); = Kal (Sinhala, Sorata). See column 46 on usages in Sinhala
Kallu	= Kal (Malayalam, Kannada, Tulu, Telugu, DED 1298); conjunction form and colloquial form of Kal (Tamil)
Kaṟ	also Kaṉ: conjunction forms of Kal (Tamil, DED 1298)
Kallan	also Kallam: conjunction form of Kal, taking the empty morpheme Am, called Cāriyai in Tamil grammar (Tamil, Tolkāppiyam 119); Kal+am+taḻvu > Kalantāḻvu
Ciṟutēṉ	also called Kocukut-tēṉ: honey gathered by species of small bees (Tamil, MTL citing Jaffna Dictionary; Ciṟu+tēṉ: DED 1594+3628b); Ciṟu-tēṉī: small flower-bee, Apis floralis (Tamil, MTL, DED 1594+3628b+533); as opposed to Perun-tēṉ: honey gathered by large-sized honeybees that usually make hives in inaccessible sides of high hills, hill-honey, honey gathered from hill flowers, large-sized honeybee (Tamil, Caṅkam diction, Kuṟuntokai, 3: 3-4; 273: 5; MTL; Peru+tēṉ: DED 4411+3628b); Perun-tēṉī: large-sized honeybee (Tamil, MTL); Tēṉ: honey (Tamil, DED 3268b, cognates in 17 Dravidian languages); Tēnu, Jēn, Jēnu, Gēnu: honey (Kannada, DED 3268b, T/ J/ G change); Henu: sweetness (Kuwi, DED 3268a); Tīm: sweet (Tamil, DED 3268a); Tēm: sweetness, honey, honeybee (Tamil, DED 3268a); Titti: (verb) to be sweet (Tamil, DED 3268a); Ciṟu: small as opposed to Peru (Tamil, DED 1594). See columns 46 and 307
Vaitta	placed; from Vai: (verb) to put, place lay by (Tamil, DED 5549)
Vayal	paddy field (Tamil, DED 5258). See column 402
Veṭi	(verb) to explode; (noun) explosion, gun (Tamil, DED 5473). See column 6
Tāḻvu	depth as of a pit (Tamil, DED 3178); from Tāḻ: (verb) to be low, deep (Tamil, DED 3178). See column 138
Kuḻi	(noun) pit, pond; (verb) to sink (Tamil, DED 1818). See column 7

Kal in Tamil commonly means stone in general, of any size or of any shape. Usages are noticed since the times of earliest literature and Tamil Brahmi inscriptions. Cognates are found in 15 Dravidian languages and the word is listed as Dravidian (DED 1298).

Related to the basic meaning, Kal comes to mean various stone-related features and objects (see box on Kal).

Kal meaning a hill or mountain, and in that sense coming as a place name component, is also an early usage in Tamil, as seen in Caṅkam classics. Besides Tamil, the usage in this meaning is especially seen in the Dravidian of the Western Ghats, such as Malayalam, Tulu and Kannada.

Kallu is a colloquial form of Kal in Tamil, but it is a regular form in Malayalam, Kannada, Tulu and Telugu. Kaṟ and Kaṉ are conjunction forms of Kal in Tamil. When Kal takes 'Am', an empty morpheme (Cāriyai) for conjunctions, it will be Kallam or Kallan as in Kallam-pattai, Kallam-piṭṭi, Kallan-tāḻvu etc.

Gal/ Gala in Sinhala is a cognate of Kal. Sinhala diction also has the word Kal, equated to Gal (Sorata, citing Dhambiyā Aṭuvā Gẹṭapadaya). See box on Kal for identical usages and meanings in Tamil and Sinhala. The form Gal is noticed in other Dravidian languages like Kota and Kannada. See column 46 for Gal/ Gala in Sinhala.

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Tēṉ meaning honey in Tamil has cognates in 17 Dravidian languages (DED 3628b) and the word is related to Tīm meaning sweet (DED 3628a).

Ciṟu-tēṉ means a type of honey that is gathered by a small species of honeybees called Ciṟu-tēṉī (Apis floralis). The beehives are also small in size. Ciṟu-tēṉ is a usage found in Eezham Tamil and Madras Tamil Lexicon lists it citing Jaffna Dictionary.

Ciṟu as adjective means small and Ciṟu-tēṉ differentiates the type of honey from Perun-tēṉ that is gathered by a large and dangerous type of honeybees. The large Perun-tēṉ hives are usually found on access-difficult sides of high hills.

References to Perun-tēṉ seen in Caṅkam literature imply that Ciṟu-tēṉ also was an old usage.

* * *

Perun-tēṉ in Caṅkam Tamil literature:

"பெருந்தேன் கண்படு வரையில் முதுமால்பு அறியாது ஏறிய மடவோன் போல" (குறுந்தொகை, 273: 5-6)

"Peruntēṉ kaṇpaṭu varaiyil mutumālpu aṟiyātu ēṟiya maṭavōṉ pōla" (Kuṟuntokai, 273: 5-6)

Like the fool who climbed a bamboo ladder to reach the Perun-tēṉ beehives found on the hill-cliff, not knowing that the ladder is old and breakable [Mālpu: a bamboo pole, in which only its cut branches serve to climb as a ladder]




"சாரல் கருங்கோற் குறிஞ்சிப் பூக்கொண்டு பெருந்தேன் இழைக்கும் நாடன்" (குறுந்தொகை, 2-4)

"Cāral karuṅkōṟ kuṟiñcip pūkkoṇṭu peruntēṉ iḻaikkum nāṭaṉ" (Kuṟuntokai, 2-4)

The man of the village, where on the hillside Peruntēṉ is accumulated (in beehives) by (bees) gathering it from the flowers of the dark-stemmed Kuṟiñci [a flowering plant found in the mountains of the Western Ghats)

* * *

Kal-vayal is a place in Thenmaradchi division of Jaffna district. The paddy fields here are cultivated in a terrain of limestone outcrops

Ciṟutēṉ-kal is in Koralaippattu division of Batticaloa district.

Veṭivaitta-kallu is in Vavuniya North division of Vavuniya district.

Kallan-tāḻvu is a locality in Karainagar division of Jaffna district.

Kaṟ-kuḻi is a place in Kinniya division of Trincomalee district.

* * *

Some related place names:

Kal as suffix:

Tōṇik-kal: Vavuniya, Vavuniya

Karuvāṭṭuk-kal: Sammanthurai, Amparai

Koṭṭuk-kal: Poththuvil, Amparai. See column 379

Veru-kal: Koralaippattu North, Batticaloa

Koṭā-muṉaik-kal: Koralaippattu West, Batticaloa

Taṭṭaik-kal: Kuchchaveli, Trincomalee

Pāvāṭaik-kal: Puthukkudiyiruppu, Mullaiththeevu

Paraṇaṭṭa-kal: Paraṇ-naṭṭa-kal: Vavuniya, Vavuniya

* * *

Kal in non-suffix position:

Kal-vaḷai: Caṇṭilippāy, Jaffna; Iyaṟṟālai, Jaffna

Kallāṟu: Kal-āṟu: Kandavalai, Kilinochci; Musali, Mannar

Kal-maṭu: Kandavalai, Kilinochchi; Madu, Mannar; Vavuniya, Vavuniya; Iṟakkāmam, Amparai

Ellaik-kal-kuḷam: Poonakari, Kilinochchi. Ellai: boundary

Alai-kal-pōṭṭa-kuḷam: Madu, Mannar. See column 303

Kal-veḷik-kuḷam: Madu, Mannar

Kal-nāṭṭi: Nanaddan, Mannar. See column 197

Kallam-piṭṭi: Putukkudiyiruppu, Mullaiththeevu

Kal-vāṉ-kuḷam: Puthukkudiyiruppu, Mullaiththeevu. Vān: spill or spill water of a tank

Kal-viḷāṉ: Thunukkai, Mullaiththeevu

Kal-muṉai: Kalmunai, Amparai

Cori-kal-muṉai: Navithanveli, Amparai. Cori-kal: loose stone or rock

Kallariccal: Kal-ariccal: Sammanthurai, Amparai

Kal-muṉaik-kuṭi: Kalmunai, Amparai

Kal-kuṭā: Koralaippattu, Batticaloa

Kallaṭi-veṭṭai: Koralaippattu, Batticaloa

Kallūṭṭuk-kuṭā: Koralaippattu, Batticaloa. Kallūṭāṉ: a small fish; Kalloṭṭi: a snail (Tamil, MTL)

Mīyaṉ-kal-kuḷam: Koralaippattu, Batticaloa. Marked as Mīyaṉ-kallu-kuḷam in Rukam OIS. See column 307

Cūraṉ-kal-malai: Koralaippattu, Batticaloa. Cūr: (verb) to frighten; (noun) malignant deity (Tamil, DED 2725)

Ceṅkalaṭi: Ceṅ-kal-aṭi: Eravurpattu, Batticaloa. Ceṅ-kal: red brick

Kal-pottāṉai: Eravurpattu, Batticaloa

Kallaṭi: Manmunai North, Batticaloa; Verukal, Trincomalee

Kōṭṭaik-kallāṟu: Manmunai South, Batticaloa

Periya-kallāṟu: Manmunai South, Batticaloa

Kallam-pattai: Kuchchaveli, Trincomalee

Kallaṭi-veṭṭuvāṉ: Kinniya, Trincomalee

Kallaḍiya: Puttalam, Puttalam. See Kallaṭi

* * *

Kallu:

Kōṭālik-kallu: Oddusuddan, Mullaiththeevu. Kōṭāli: also Kōṭari: 1. Axe (Tamil, cognates in Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu, MTL): probably from Kōṭu+ari: one that cuts branches or trees or trees (Tamil, DED 2200 + 212); Kuṭhāra: axe (Sanskrit, CDIAL 3244, probable Dravidian connection noted); 2. Probably a tree or shrub; Kōṭālik-karantai: Indian globe thistle, Koṭṭaik-karantai (Tamil, MTL); note another place name Kōṭālik-kāṭu in Mātakal, Jaffna

Kuñcuk-kōṭālik-kallu: Oddusuddan, Mullaiththeevu. Kuñcu: small, smaller part. See Kōṭālik-kallu

Mīn-piṭṭik-kallu: Karaithuraippattu, Mullaiththeevu

Puli-pāynta-kallu: also Puli-pāñca-kallu: Karaithuraipparru, Mullaiththeevu; Koralaippattu, Batticaloa (Kalkudah OIS)

* * *

Kaṟ:

Kaṟ-kōvaḷam: Vadamaradchi North, Jaffna

Kaṟ-kaṭanta-kuḷam: Nanaddan, Mannar. Probably Kaṟ-kaṭainta-kuḷam; Kaṭai: (verb) to make lime for stucco, plastering etc., as in Cuṇṇāmpu-kaṭaital, which was the profession of the Kaṭaiyar community (Eezham Tamil)

Kaṟ-kuḷam: Manthai East, Mullaiththeevu; Oddusuddan, Mullaiththeevu; Vavuniya North, Vavuniya

Kaṟ-kiṭaṅku: Oddusuddan, Mullaiththeevu

Kaṟ-kuvāṟi: Oddusuddan, Mullaiththeevu. Kuvāṟi: from quarry in English

Kaṟ-cēṉai: Addalaichchenai, Amparai; Manmunai Southwest, Batticaloa; Poratheevuppattu, Batticaloa

Kaṟ-kēṇi: Koralaippattu, Batticaloa

Kaṟ-pāṟai: Eravurpattu, Batticaloa

Kaṟ-cūḷaik-kal: Kuchchaveli, Trincomalee

Kaṟ-kaṭṭuk-kuḷam: Trincomalee Town and Gravets, Trincomalee; near Kuccaveḷi, Padaviya OIS

Kaṟpiṭṭi: also Kal-pitṭi, Kal-piṭṭiya: Kaṟpiṭṭi, Puttalam

* * *

Some more Kal/ Kallu place names from One Inch Sheets:

Nuṇu-kal: Puṅkuṭutīvu, Delft OIS

Kaṟ-kaḻik-kuḷam: Mūḷāy, Jaffna OIS. Kaḻi: backwaters

Kallārava: Kallāṟu: north of Tiriyay, Kokkilai OIS

Kalliccai: Vakaneri OIS

Kal-muṉai: Maṇṇittalai, Poonakari, Pooneryn OIS

Taṭṭak-kal-kuḷam: Trincomalee OIS

Kallāṟu: near Tirumaṅkalāy, Kathiraveli OIS

Kal-malaik-kuḷam: Vakaneri OIS

Kūḻaṅ-kallu-malai: Kathiraveli OIS

Kuñcaṉ-kallu: west of Maṅkēṇi, Kalkudah OIS. This is a rock hillock

Muttu-kallu: Vakaneri OIS. This is a rock hillock

Vannik-kallu: near Kal-malaik-kuḷam, Vakaneri OIS. The place has rock hillocks

Tōṇik-kallu: Murunkan OIS

* * *

Other Sources:

Kalluvam: Uṭuppiiṭṭi, Jaffna; Uṭuvil, Jaffna (Balasundaram, p. 121)

Kallāk-kaṭṭuvaṉ: near Cuṇṇākam, Jaffna

Kallūṇṭāy: also Kallūṇṭāy-veḷi: between Kākkai-tīvu and Arāli, Jaffna

Kallikkai-kuḷam: Karaveṭṭi, Jaffna OIS

Kallākam: Kaitaṭi, Jaffna (Balasundaram, p. 121). This is a stony place

Kaṟ-karai: Kuppiḻāṉ, Jaffna (Balasundaram, p. 122). Karai: side * * *


Revised: Sunday, 23 April 2017, 19:45

First published: Friday, 06 July 2007, 01:00