Know the Etymology: 37
Place Name of the Day: Saturday, 28 January 2017

Tūmpil-piṭṭi, Turuttup-piṭṭi, Kaṇṇāp-puṭṭi, Kuḷap-piṭṭi, Cuṭalaip-piṭṭi

தூம்பில்-பிட்டி, துருத்துப்-பிட்டி, கண்ணாப்-புட்டி, குளப்-பிட்டி, சுடலைப்-பிட்டி
Tūmpil-piṭṭi, Turuttup-piṭṭi, Kaṇṇāp-puṭṭi, Kuḷap-piṭṭi, Cuṭalaip-piṭṭi

Tūmpil+piṭṭi
Turuttu+piṭṭi
Kaṇṇā+puṭṭi
Kuḷa+piṭṭi
Cuṭalai+piṭṭi

The sandbar heap at the channel entrance

The protruding sandbank islet (in the channel)

The sandbank islet having Kaṇṇā mangrove

The bank or the high ground adjacent to the pond

The raised ground or low mound where cremation takes place

Puṭṭi	interchangeable with Piṭṭi: mound, dune, bank, sandbank, sandbank-islet, raised ground, a ground that is higher in elevation than the neighbourhood (Eezham Tamil); Puṭai: (verb) to swell, puff up; (noun) protuberance (Tamil, DED 4253); Puṭṭa: heap (Telugu, DED 4258); Puṭa: heap, mound (Konda, DED 4258); heap, pile, stack (Kui, DED 4258); Puṭṭi, Poṭṭe, Poḍe: belly (Kannada, DED 4494); Poṭṭa: belly (Telugu, Kolami, Naikri, Parji, Gondi, DED 4494); cognates in 14 Dravidian languages; Puṭṭi, Puṭi: Old Dhivehi form of Fuśi, Fuṭṭā, Huṭṭā: small island, minor island, island formed with stones and pebbles, unproductive island (Dhivehi/ Maldivian, DBF, the Puṭṭi form is noticed in Isdhoo copperplates, 1195-96 CE). See box on Piṭṭi below, and boxes on Piṭiya 1 to Piṭiya 4 in Sinhala in column 163. Also see columns on Hiṭiya, Viṭa in Sinhala and Ciṭṭi, Iṭṭi, Tiṭṭi in Tamil
Piṭṭi	interchangeable with Puṭṭi: mound, dune, bank, sandbank, sandbank-islet, raised ground, a ground that is higher in elevation than the neighbourhood (Eezham Tamil); Piṭika, Piṭiya, Piṭini: toponymic usages noticed in the Brahmi inscriptions of the island (See column 163): Piṭa, Piṭu: top, summit, "Matta" (Sinhala, Sorata); 1. See, box on Puṭṭi for verb and cognates (DED 4253); 2. Pīṭ: belly (Gondi, DED 4193); Piḍ: belly (Brahui, DED 4193); 3. Pīṭilikai: raised ground, high ground (Tamil, inscription, 550 CE, TASSI, 1958-59, pp. 41-83); Beṭṭa: hill, mountain (Kodagu, Kannada, DED 5474); Biṭ, Buṭ: mound, hillock (Brahui, DED 5474); 4. Pīṭha: stool, bench (Sanskrit, the meanings could stand for a tableland, non-IA origins noted for the word, CDIAL 8222); Pīṭikai: platform (Tamil, Cilappatikāram, 5: 67); Puṭu, Puṭuva: seat, chair, stool (Sinhala, Clough); 5. Pīṭu: greatness, eminence (Tamil, MTL, Caṅkam diction, Kuṟuntokai, 31: 6). See box on Puṭṭi above, boxes on Piṭiya 1 to Piṭiya 4 in column no. 163, and also columns on Hiṭiya, Viṭa in Sinhala and Ciṭṭi, Iṭṭi, Tiṭṭi in Tamil
Tūmpu	tube, outlet, channel, vent in sluice, gateway, pass, way, narrow or difficult path (Tamil, DED 3389, Kuṟuntokai, 178: 2-3); cognates in 10 Dravidian languages; in the context of the place name in discussion it means a narrow entrance channel or outlet channel between sea and lagoon
Turutti	a sandbank islet in the middle of a channel in the context of the place name; islet in a river (Tamil, DED 3344, Kalittokai, 30: 15-16); island (Malayalam, DED 3344, early usage recorded in Caṅkam literature of the Cēra country, Patiṟṟuppattu, 20: 1-3); from Turuttu: (verb) to bulge, protrude, thrust out (Tamil, DED 3369); Turitti: "Galā siṭina vatura"(Sinhala, Sorata notes with a question mark). See column no. 492 on Naṭut-turutti
Kaṇṇā	a common mangrove found in coastal marshes, lagoons and sandbank islets, identifiable with Rhizophora mucronata, called Kaḍol in Sinhala (Eezham Tamil); 1. Kaṇṭal: mangrove, Rhizophora mucronata, dichotomous mangrove, Kaṇḍelia rheedii (Tamil, DED 1171, Kuṟuntokai, 117: 2-3); Kāṇḍelū: a kind of tree growing near salt water (Tulu, DED 1171); Kaṇḍe: a bulbous root (Tulu, DED 1171); rootstock from which small roots grow (Kodagu, DED 1171); 2. The etymology is probably related to the bulb cum arrow like seed fruit through which the mangrove propagates; Kaṇai: arrow (Tamil, DED 1166); cylindrical or globular shape (Tamil, DED 1168)
Cuṭalai	cremation ground (Tamil, DED 2654, Kuṟuntokai, 231: 3-4); Cuṭu: (verb) to burn (Tamil, DED 2654); cognates in 17 Dravidian languages

Puṭṭi and Piṭṭi are interchangeable common words in Eezham Tamil usage, meaning a mound, heap, dune, bank, sandbank, sandbank-islet, raised ground or a ground that is higher in elevation than the surroundings.

In such a usage, the basic meaning of Puṭṭi/ Piṭṭi in Eezham Tamil is different from Piṭiya in Sinhala, for which the basic dictionary meaning is plain tract of ground (Clough) or vacant ground without vegetation, "Vṛkṣalatādiya nẹti his bima"(Sorata).

However, many Sinhala place names and even early usages of Piṭi/ Piṭiya noticed in the Brahmi inscriptions of the island seem to be sharing the high ground meaning found in Eezham Tamil (see column 163).

There is a probability of the presence of more than one etymon in the Sinhala usages of Piṭiya, while only one is recognizable in Eezham Tamil usage.

Piṭiya meaning a plain ground or vacant land in Sinhala may not be related to Piṭṭi/ Puṭṭi meaning a high ground in Eezham Tamil, but seems to be coming from another etymon and corresponding to Dravidian parallels such as Pīṭu meaning wasteland in a Tamil usage (DED 4219, MTL), Bīḍu meaning the same in Kannada and Telugu (DED 4218), Paṭṭai/ Paṭṭi meaning flatness and spreading space (DED 3878) and Baṭṭi meaning bare ground in Parji (DED 5233).

Possibility of conflation in usage has to be taken into account in dealing with terms different in etyma, but sounding similar and relatable in meaning. See column 163 (Kal-piṭiya) for etymological discussions on Piṭiya in Sinhala and for usage examples in the Brahmi inscriptions of the island.

Usage examples of Puṭṭi/ Piṭṭi in Eezham Tamil, especially in their sandbank-islet shade of meaning, show closer affinities with the old Maldivian usage of Puṭṭi/ Puṭi, meaning a minor island. Note that the word form Puṭṭi is not present in Sinhala but found in Eezham Tamil. The Maldivian toponymic term, widely found in copper plate inscriptions (12-14th century CE) has become Fuśi, Fuṭṭā and Huṭṭā in later Dhivehi.

Puṭṭi/ Piṭṭi is not present in the Tamil usage of Tamil Nadu, but the verb root Puṭai, meaning to swell or to puff up, could be seen in Tamil/ Dravidian (DED 4253). While Puṭai as a noun means protuberance in Tamil, cognates such as Puṭṭa in Telugu and Puṭa in Konda and Kui have the toponymic meaning, 'heap'. In Kannada, Kolami, Naikri, Parji and Gondi, cognates have a related meaning, 'belly' (see box on Puṭṭi).

Taking up the word form Piṭṭi in its high-ground meaning in Eezham Tamil, it could be a variation of Puṭṭi, since both are interchangeable in usage. However, if Piṭṭi has a different etymon, Dravidian parallels could be seen in examples such as Pīṭ meaning belly (Gondi), Biṭ, Buṭ meaning mound (Brahui), Pīṭu meaning eminence (Tamil) and Paṭṭi meaning sandbank (Kodagu).

Sanskrit has a cognate Pīṭha, meaning a stool or bench that could also come to mean a tableland. Non-IA origin is noted for this word (CDIAL 8222). See box on Piṭṭi above and boxes on Piṭiya 1 to Piṭiya 4 in column 163 for further comparisons and discussions.

Inscriptional evidence coming from 6th century CE in Tamil show that a word form Pīṭilikai was in use to mean a high ground. But earlier examples coming from the island show that Piṭṭi/ Piṭiya had its own toponymic usage development in the island, both in Eezham Tamil and in Sinhala.

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Usage example for Pīṭilikai meaning high ground

"காடும் பீடிலிகையும் கிடங்கும்" (Tamil inscription, c. 550 CE, TASSI, 1958-1959, pp. 41-83)

"Kāṭum pīṭilikaiyum kiṭaṅkum" (Tamil inscription, c. 550 CE, TASSI, 1958-1959, pp. 41-83)

Jungle, high ground and pit ground

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Tūmpu basically means a tube in Tamil/ Dravidian (DED 3389). The word Tumpik-kai for the trunk of an elephant is related to Tūmpu. Coming from the basic meaning the word also means a gutter, channel, narrow entrance, outlet etc. In the context of the place name it means a narrow entrance channel between Palk Bay and Jaffna Lagoon.

See column 492 on Naṭut-turutti for Turutti meaning an islet in the middle of a river, channel etc. in Tamil and meaning an island in general in Malayalam.

Kaṇṇā is the Eezham Tamil name of a mangrove commonly found in the coastal marshes, lagoons and islets. Kaṇṭal, listed as Dravidian (DED 1171), is the term widely used in standard Tamil since Caṅkam times and Kaḍol is the word in Sinhala. The name of the mangrove seems to have come from the unique way in which it propagates in the marshes through its bulb cum arrow shaped fruits. Kaṇṇā seems to be parallel to Kaṇḍal in word formation (see box on Kaṇṇā).

Cuṭalai, coming from the verb Cuṭu (DED 2654), is a common Tamil word meaning a cremation ground. A cremation ground is usually a raised ground or low mound because of deposits accumulated over a long time.

See other columns on the etymology of Kuḷam meaning a pond or reservoir.

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Tūmpil-piṭṭi is the name of a sandbar of dune sand that is blocking almost half of the narrow channel at the entrance to the Jaffna Lagoon from the Palk Bay, between the island Kārai-tīvu (Karainagar) and north western tip of Jaffna Peninsula (place name information: local sources)

Turuttu-piṭṭi is a protruding sandbank islet located in the middle of the channel described under Tūmpil-piṭṭi (One Inch Sheet)

Kaṇṇāp-puṭṭi is a tiny sandbank islet located near Kuṟikāṭṭuvāṉ in the west of Puṅkuṭutīvu Island, in the Kayts division of Jaffna district (One Inch Sheet)

Kuḷap-piṭṭi is a place located at the southwest bank of the Nantāvil pond. The place comes under Kokkuvil in Nalloor division of Jaffna district (place name information: local sources)

Cuṭalaip-piṭṭi comes as an administratively recorded place name in Kinniya division of Trincomalee district and in Pachchilaippalli division of Kilinochchi district. But as a locality name it could be found in several places

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Some related place names:

Iṭaip-piṭṭi: Karainagar, Jaffna. Iṭai: 1. Middle, 2. Cattle herders (Tamil, DED 448, 450)

Maṇaṟ-piṭṭi: Karainagar, Jaffna. Maṇal: sand (Tamil, DED 4666b)

Piṭṭi-ellai: Karainagar, Jaffna. Ellai: boundary, border, edge (Tamil, DED 846)

Karaip-piṭṭi-yantaṉai: Karaip-piṭṭi-am-taṉai: Karainagar, Jaffna. Taṉai: from Tāṉam: place (Tamil); Sthāna: place of abode (Sanskrit, CDIAL 13753); Am: an affix (Tamil); Karai: bank, shore, ridge, edge (Tamil, DED 1293)

Allaip-piṭṭi: Kayts, Jaffna; Mannar Town, Mannar. Allai: an edible yam that grows deep inside coastal sand dunes (Eezham Tamil); a climber, a running plant the root of which forms an article of food (Tamil, MTL cites Winslow); 1. Alaya: yam (Sinhala, Clough); Ālu: esculent root of Amorphophallus campanulatus (Sanskrit, CDIAL 1388); 2. Allēk-koḍi: a creeper of a prickly yam or a prickly creeper of a yam; "Kaṭu-ala-vẹla" (Sinhala, Sorata); Kaṭu-ala: edible root of a prickly creeper commonly called Kaṭu-vala (Sinhala, Clough, Appendix); Kaṭu-vala: kind of yam, Dioscorea pentaphyla (Sinhala, Clough); 3. Vaḷḷi: climber, creeper (Tamil, DED 5316)

Māciyap-piṭṭi: also Mākiyap-piṭṭi: Valikamam Southwest, Jaffna. Māci, Māki: 1. The lunar month of Māgha (January-February) or the solar month of February-March when the full moon occurs in the constellation Māgha; a festival day; the practice of naming grounds from festivals conducted there could be seen in other examples of Eezham Tamil place names such as Thai-iṭṭi, Paṅkuṉip-piṭṭi, Cittiraip-piṭṭi etc.; 2. Māci: Mahāsaya? Buddhist remains have reportedly been found at Māciyappiṭṭi.

Ciṟup-piṭṭi: Valikamam East, Jaffna. Ciṟu: small (Tamil, DED 1594)

Uṭup-piṭṭi: Vadamaratchi Southwest, Jaffna. Uṭu: seems to be related to Uṭai: Acacia species of shrubs and trees (Tamil, DED 594); note the other place names Uṭu-vil and Uṭut-tuṟai in Jaffna

Kaḷḷip-piṭṭi: Kandavalai, Kilinochchi. Kaḷḷi: spurge, Euphorbia; milk-hedge, Euphorbia tirucalli; prickly pear, Opuntia dillenii (Tamil, DED 1383)

Vaṇṇāṉ-piṭṭi: Kandavalai, Kilinochchi. Vaṇṇāṉ: washerman, launderer (Tamil, DED 5241)

Uyarip-piṭṭi: Poonakari, Kilinochchi. Uyari: that which is tall (Tamil, DED 646); from Uyar: (verb) to rise, be high (Tamil, DED 646)

Nīlap-piṭṭiyā-kuḷam: Manthi East, Mullaiththeevu; Nīlam: in this context, probably, Nīli: indigo plant (Tamil, Tivākaram, 4: 223; Sinhala, Sorata)

Eḷḷup-piṭṭi: Mannar Town, Mannar. Eḷḷu: Sesamum indicum (Tamil, DED 854)

Erukkalam-piṭṭi: Mannar Town, Mannar. Erukku: the shrub called swallow-wort or manure-leaf, Calotropis gigantea (Tamil, DED 814); probably related to Eru: manure (Tamil, DED 813)

Accaṭip-piṭṭi: Manthai West, Mannar; Nanattan, Mannar. 1. Accu: ridge in a field; Accuk-kaṭṭu: to form a ridge around a field (Tamil, DED 49, see Accu-vēli); 2. Accu: mould, stamp (Tamil, DED 47); Aṭi: 1. Location (Tamil, DED 72); 2. (verb) to flap, to blow, to stamp, print etc

Kattāḻam-piṭṭi: Manthai West, Mannar. Kattāḷai: < Kaṟṟāḻai: Aloe vera (Tamil, MTL); from Kal+tāḻai: (Tamil, DED 1298+3183); Tāḻai in Dravidian comes for the grass family of plants and palms the leaves of which comes down

Mūṉṟām-piṭṭi: also, Mūṇām-piṭṭi: Manthai West, Mannar. Mūṉṟām: the third; from Mūṉṟu: three (Tamil, DED 5052)

Piḷḷaiyār-piṭṭi: Manthai West, Mannar. Piḷḷaiyār: the deity worshipped as Siva's elder son (Tamil); from Piḷḷai: child, son (Tamil, DED 4198)

Cōṉakap-piṭṭi: Manthai West, Mannar. Cōṉakar: Muslims; from Yōna, Yavana: a term applied for Greeks, Romans and West Asians; from the geographical identity of Ionia

Cuṭṭāp-piṭṭi: Manthai West, Mannar

Tēvaṉ-piṭṭi: Manthai West, Mannar. Tēvaṉ: a community identity in the context of the place name; a title of the

Pālam-piṭṭi: Madu, Mannar. Pālam: bridge (Tamil, DED 4099)

Ilakaṭip-piṭṭi: Nanattan, Mannar: Ilaku: = Ilavu: silk cotton tree (Tamil, DED 495)

Kaḷḷiyaṭip-piṭṭi: Nanattan, Mannar. See Kaḷḷip-piṭṭi

Maṭup-piṭṭi: Nanattan, Mannar. Maṭu: pond, pool, tank (Tamil, DED 4658)

Māḷikaip-piṭṭi: Nanattan, Mannar. Māḷikai: palace, temple, mansion, house (Tamil, DED 4757). The place has a mound of ruins

Muruṅkan-piṭṭi: Nanattan, Mannar. Muruṅkan: a variety of paddy (Tamil)

Tīvup-piṭṭi: Nanattan, Mannar. Tīvu: island

Naṭuvāṉ-piṭṭi: Musali, Mannar. Naṭu: middle, centre (Tamil, DED 3584); note the Āṉ affix

Kallam-piṭṭi: Puthukkudiyiruppu, Mullaiththeevu. Kal; stone; Am: affix (Tamil)

Kiraval-piṭṭi: Puthukkudiyiruppu, Mullaiththeevu. Kiraval: from Gravel (English)

Cippip-piṭṭi: Puthukkudiyiruppu, Mullaiththeevu. Cippi: shell (Tamil, DED 2535)

Nīrāvip-piṭṭi: Karaithuraippattu, Mullaiththeevu, Nīrāvi: pond, usually a constructed pond (Tamil, DED 3690a+CDIAL 11529)

Papparavap-piṭṭi: Karaithuraippattu, Mullaiththeevu. Papparavar: people of African origin (Tamil, see column on this)

Malkam-piṭṭi: Sammanthurai, Amparai

Vaḷatā-piṭṭi: Sammanthurai, Amparai

Paṭṭiyaṭip-piṭṭi: Akkaraippattu, Amparai. Paṭṭi: cattle pen (Tamil, DED 3868)

Nāval-piṭṭi: Koralaippattu, Batticaloa. Nāval: Eugenia jambolana (Tamil, DED 2914)

Maiyattu-piṭṭi: Eravurpattu, Batticaloa. The Muslim burial-ground mound; Maiyam: dead body (from Arabic)

Kumpuṟup-piṭṭi: Kuchchaveli, Trincomalee; Velaṇai, Kayts, Jaffna. Kumpuṟu: see column no. 221, on Amuṇu-kuṁbura

Naṟ-piṭṭi-muṉai: Kalmunai, Amparai. Naṟ: good, auspicious; conjunction form of Nal: (Tamil, DED 3610)

Kumpiḷip-piṭṭiya-maṭu: Koralaipattu, Batticaloa. Kumpili: probably Kumpuṟu: see column 221)

Kaṟ-piṭṭi: also Kal-piṭiya; Katpitti/ Kalpitiya, Puttalam. Kaṟ: conjunction form of Kal: stone, rock (Tamil, DED 1298)

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Piṭṭi: from other sources and personal knowledge


Iṟup-piṭṭi: Punkudutheevu, Kayts, Jaffna (One Inch Sheet): Iṟu: may be related to payment of revenue (Ira in Sinhala, Iṟu/ Iṟai in Tamil, DED 521)

Kaḻutaip-piṭṭi: Punkudutheevu, Kayts, Jaffna (One Inch Sheet). Kaḻutai: ass (Tamil, DED 1364); Kaḷudệvā: ass (Sinhala, Clough). In the context of the place name Kaḷutai could also mean some wild plants seen in Jaffna, i.e., Kaḻutai-muḷḷi, Acanthus ilicifolius (Tamil, DED 1365); Kaḻutaip-pālai: a creeper that is also called Naccaṟuppaṉ-koṭi, Tylophora asthmatica (Tamil, MTL), and Kaḻutai-tumpai: Trichodesma indicum (Tamil, MTL), or Cockspur Thorn, Eburnea (Tamil, A Hand Book of Flora of Ceylon, 1893, entry no. 698)

Karayām-piṭṭi: Anaikkottai, Jaffna. Karai: bank, shore, ridge, edge (Tamil, DED 1293); Ām: affix, equivalent to Āṉ (Tamil)

Muḻakkap-piṭṭi: Neerveli, Jaffna (Vākya Almanac). Muḻal: = Kaḻal (Tamil, Winslow); also Kaḻaṅku, Kaḻaṟci, Kaḻaṟ-kāy: Coranga nut, Molucca bean, Cæsalpina bonducella, Guilandina bonducella (Tamil, Malayalam, DED 1347)

Āvaram-piṭṭi: Arali, Jaffna (HAM records). Āvarai, Āvārai: Tanners Senna, Cassia auriculata (Tamil, DED 391)

Āvaram-piṭṭit-tīvu: Pālāvikkuḷam, Ponnaveli, Kilinochchi. This is an islet sandbank and a fishing camp (One Inch Sheet). See Āvaram-piṭṭi

Tiṉakaraṉ-piṭṭi: Karainagar, Jaffna. This is the old name for the locality where the Sivan temple is situated. The place is a bank on the edge of a Taravai grassland marsh. Tiṉakaraṉ may be a personal name

Cūriyaṉ-piṭṭi: also called Vērap-piṭṭi: Karainagar, Jaffna (One Inch Sheet). Cūriyaṉ may be a personal name

Vērap-piṭṭi: Karainagar, Jaffna. Vēr: chaya root (Tamil); from Vēr: root (Tamil, DED 5535)

Erukkalam-piṭṭi-villu: Uruthurapuram, Kilinochchi (One Inch Sheet). See Erukkalam-piṭṭi

Karaiyām-piṭṭik-kuḷam: Uruthirapuram, Kilinochchi (One Inch Sheet). See Karaiyām-piṭṭi

Kuṟiñci-piṭṭi: Karpitti, Puttalam (marked as Kiringipitti in One Inch Sheet). Kuṟiñci: from Kuriñcā: a creeper of many species, equivalent to Ańguṇavẹla in Sinhala, Asclepiadeæ (Eezham Tamil); Kuriññaṅ: a creeper, Gymnema lactiferum of the Asclepiadaceæ family (Sinhala, Clough); Kuriñcā: a name of an edible and medicinal creeper, Ciṟu-kuṟiñcā, Peruṅ-kuṟiñcā: respectively, Periploca sylvestris, Asclepias vimitoria (Tamil, Winslow, MTL)

Mucal-piṭṭi: Karpitti, Puttalam (marked as Musalpiṭṭi in One Inch Sheet); 1. Mucal, Muyal: hare, rabbit (Tamil, DED 4968), 2. Mucal: probably, Mucali: fragrant screw pine, Pandanus odoratissimus (Tamil, MTL, DED 4890)

Pullu-piṭṭi: a sandbank islet found with scrub off Katpitti in Puttlam lagoon (One Inch Sheet). Pul, Pullu: grass, grass family (Tamil, DED 4300)

Cāvilip-piṭṭi: Varani, Jaffna (T. Almanac); Cēvalap-piṭṭi?

Karaip-piṭṭi: Arali, Jaffna (T. Almanac). See Karayām-piṭṭi

Karaiyāṉ-piṭṭik-kaḷappu: Nallūr, Poonakari, Kilinochchi. Kaḷappu: backwaters; see column on this and Karaiyām-piṭṭi above (One Inch sheet)

Karaiyām-piṭṭik-kuḷam: Uruththirapuram, Kilinochchi (One Inch sheet)

Paṟaiyaṉ-piṭṭi: Iluppaikkadavai, Mannar (One Inch Sheet). Paṟaiyaṉ: member of the drummer community (Tamil, DED 4032)

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Puṭṭi:


Irap-puṭṭi-ōṭai: a narrow channel (Ōṭai) between Kayts and Maṇṭai-tīvu islands, the southern entrance of which begins at a sandbank (One Inch Sheet). Iṟā: Iṟāl: shrimp (Tamil, DED 517)

Puṭṭik-kuṭiyiruppu: Thalaimannar, Mannar (One Inch Sheet)

Cēṉaip-puṭṭi-malai: Batticaloa (One Inch Sheet). Cēnai: shifting cultivation field; Malai: hill; see relevant columns

Pullaṭi-puṭṭi: Ninthavur, Batticaloa (One Inch Sheet). Puḷḷaṭip-puṭṭi?

Puṭṭiyaṭit-tuṟai: Paalamunai, Poratheevuppattu, Batticaloa. Tuṟai: port, river front, where clothes are washed, place, location (Tamil, DED 3370)

Papparavap-puṭṭi: Cālai, Mullaiththeevu (noted as Pepara-puṭṭi in One Inch Sheet). Pappravar: people of African origin; see column on the place name

Uṭaiyār-puṭṭi: a sandbank islet found with scrub in the Puttlam lagoon. The adjacent sandbank islet is Pullu-piṭṭi. Uṭaiyār: master, lord (Tamil, DED 593)

Muruṅkaiyaṭip-puṭṭi: Iluppaikkadavai, Mannar (One Inch sheet); Muruṅkai: 1. Indian horse-radish tree, Moringa pterygosperma (Tamil, DED 4982); 2. Murukku: Palas tree, Butea Frondosa (Tamil, DED 4981);

Mallam-puṭṭi: a sandbank islet, south of Pālāvi, Puttalam (One Inch sheet)

Puṭṭaik-karaichchi: the Karaichchi (backwater-marsh) land having a mound, near Cittandikkudi, Batticaloa (One Inch Sheet). The place has an impressive mound

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Kaṇṇā:


Kaṇṇā-tīvu: 1. a sandbank islet between Punkudutheevu and Kayts, Jaffna (One Inch Sheet); 2. a sandbank islet in the Jaffna Lagoon, between Maṇṇittalai and Ariyālai East (One Inch Sheet);

Kaṇṇā-ōṭai: small backwaters at Koṇṭacci, Mannar (One Inch Sheet)

Kaṇṇāṭit-tīvu: Kaṇṇā-aṭit-tīvu?: Arippu, Mannar

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Turuttu/ Turutti:


Naṭut-turutti: The islet in the middle; Punkudutheevu, Kayts, Jaffna. See column on Naṭut-turutti

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Notes:


Puṭṭi/ Puṭi in the Maldivian island names: Examples of old island names in the Maldives having the suffixes Puṭṭi and Puṭi, meaning a minor island: The examples are noticed in old copperplate inscriptions. Puṭṭi and Puṭi have become Fuśi, Fuṭṭā and Huṭṭā in later Dhivehi. Another word Muṭṭi also comes in the old island names which has become Muṭṭā later (while P/ M interchange is possible, Muṭṭu itself means rising ground, high ground or heap in Tamil/ Dravidian, corresponding to Meṭtu (mound, heap of earth) and Mēṭu (DED 5058). The usage examples confirm the toponymic application of the terms Puṭṭi/ Puṭi in the meanings of high ground, heap, bank etc.

Puṭṭi in Isdū copperplate (1195-1196 CE): Atu-puṭṭi, Kredi-puṭṭi, Māli-puṭṭi, Parasalu-puṭṭi

Puṭṭi in Danbidū copperplate (1196-1197 CE): Kum-puṭṭi

Puṭi in Isdū copperplate (1195-1196 CE): Biḷala-puṭi, Buravi-puṭi, Daḷi-negunu-puṭi, Dinyā-Eḷi-veli-puṭi, Divatu-puṭi, Eli-veli-puṭi, Galu-duvi-puṭi, Galu-duvu-puṭi, Gaseti-puṭi, Keḷevel-puṭi, Keḷidevī-puṭi, Koḷi-puṭi, Medi-puṭi, Miya-puṭṭi, Pen-mīru-puṭi, Pen-puṭi, Taḷāsotu-puṭi, Veli-puṭi

Puṭi in Danbidū copperplate (1196-1197 CE)Donun-puṭi, Galu-puṭi, Medu-puṭi, Ratu-galu-puṭi, Tin-koḷu-puṭi, Vilu-puṭi

Sources: 1. Isdhoo Loamaafaanu: Hassan A. Maniku, G.D. Wijayawardhana and J. B. Dissanayake, 1982; 2. Dhanbidhoo Loamaafaanu: Ali Najib; 3. An Etymological Dictionary of Maldivian Island Names, 2008






Revised: Saturday, 28 January 2017, 19:36

First published: Friday, 20 July 2007, 01:00