Know the Etymology: 38
Place Name of the Day: Wednesday, 10 May 2017

Ẹlla, Kalal-ẹlla, Ẹlla-baḍa-gama

எ[æ]ல்ல, கலல் எ[æ]ல்ல, எ[æ]ல்லப₃ட₃க₃ம
Ẹlla, Kalal-ẹlla, Ẹlla-baḍa-gama

Ẹlla
Kalal+ẹlla
Ẹlla+baḍa+gama

The waterfall/ rapid/ steep gradient hill-stream

The waterfall/ rapid/ steep gradient hill-stream of turbid water

The village in the neighbourhood of the waterfall/ rapid/ steep gradient hill-stream

Ẹlla	waterfall, rapid (Sinhala, Clough); Ẹli: cascade, waterfall, stream descending with a steep gradient from a hill; "Nirjharaya, Kandu matin ẹda vẹṭena jaladhārāva" (Sinhala, Sorata); 1. Āl: water, flood (Tamil, DED 384); 2. Ālu: (verb) to sound, make noise (Tamil, DED 386); Āli: (verb) to roar, make a noise (Tamil, DED 386); 3. Alai: (verb) to wave, shake, move (Tamil, DED 240); Ollai, Ollē: rapidly, quickly (Tamil, DED 1008); 4. Sela: waterfall, cascade (Telugu, DED 2785); Seḷe, Saḷe: rush forward with impetuously as the water of a stream or river (Kannada, DED 2791); 5. Ul: small waterfall, rapid or hill stream of steep gradient, as in Gańgul: Gańga+ul, “Gańgāvat paṭan gannā ulpata, Kańdumatin ẹdavẹṭena diya ẹlla (Sinhala, Sorata); Uli: waterfall, (Irula, DED 999); Oli: waterfall (Kuruba, DED 999); Oyl: waterfall (Kota, DED 999); Olu: water current (Malayalam, DED 999); Oliyal: river (Tamil, DED 999). See columns 238, 349
Kalal	dirt, mud (Sinhala, Clough); mud, "Maḍa" (Sinhala, Sorata); Kalal-diya: muddy water, turbid water, "Maḍa musu jalaya" (Sinhala, Sorata); Kaluḻ: (verb) to become turbid as water; (noun) muddiness (Tamil, DED 1303); Kaluḻi, Kaliḻi, Kaliḻ: turbid water (Tamil, Caṅkam diction, Kuṟuntokai, 356: 4-5; Aiṅkuṟunūṟu, 203; Paripāṭal, 6: 44); Kalaṅku: (verb) to be stirred up, ruffled as water (Tamil, DED 1303); Kalaṅkal: (noun) turbidity, muddiness, muddy water, perturbation (Tamil, DED 1303, cognates in 11 Dravidian languages)
Baḍa	neighbourhood, adjacency, side, "Samīpaya" (Sinhala, Sorata); Vil-baḍa: pond side or pond edge, "Vila samīpaya" (Sinhala, Sorata); Gaň-baḍa: border or edge of a river (Sinhala, Clough); Puḍe: border, edge, brink, margin, brim, side (Tulu, DED 4255); Puṭai: side, place (Tamil, DED 4255); side, upper side, inside, back, edge, adjacency, place (Tamil, Caṅkam diction, Kuṟuntokai, 330: 1-2; Naṟṟiṇai, 294: 7; Puṟanāṉūṟu, 135: 8; Patiṟṟuppattu, 74: 12; Ciṟupāṇāṟṟuppaṭai, 5; Perumpāṇāṟṟuppaṭai, 84); locative case affix meaning back, adjacency, neighbourhood (Tamil, Tolkāppiyam, 11: 21). See column 315
Gama	village (Sinhala). See column 36

Ẹlla and Ẹli in Sinhala mean a waterfall, rapid or a hill stream of steep gradient. The etymology may be related to the sound, to the rapid movement. See box above on the etymological possibilities and note especially the parallels in some minor Dravidian languages.

Kalal meaning mud or turbidity (as in Kalal-diya) in Sinhala corresponds to Kaluḻ as a verb meaning to become turbid as water and as a noun meaning muddiness in old Tamil/ Dravidian (DED 1303)

* * *

Cognates of Kalal in Caṅkam Tamil usage:

"மான் உண்டு எஞ்சிய கலிழி நீரே" (ஐங்குறுநூறு, 203)

"Māṉ uṇṭu eñciya kaliḻi nīrē" (Aiṅkuṟunūṟu, 203)

The turbid water left over after deer drinking (in the waterhole)


"நுரை உடைக் கலுழி பாய்தலின்" (குறிஞ்சிப்பாட்டு, 178)

"Nurai uṭaik kaluḻi pāytaliṉ" (Kuṟiñcippāṭṭu, 178)

As the foamy turbid water flows


"தொடு குழி மருங்கில் துவ்வாக் கலங்கல்" (அகநானூறு, 121: 4)

"Toṭu kuḻi maruṅkil tuvvāk kalaṅkal" (Akanāṉūṟu, 121: 4)

The undrinkable muddy water in the dugout waterhole

* * *

Ẹlla is found as a place name in Ella division of Badulla district and in Elpitiya division of Galle district.

Kalal-ẹlla is a place in Kahawatta division of Ratnapura district.

Ẹlla-baḍa-gama is in Ambanpola division of Kurunegala district.

* * *

Some related place names:

Ẹllala-mulla: Mirigama, Gampaha. Ẹlla+la affix

Ōpat-ẹlla: Attanagalla, Gampaha. Ō+pat: descending side; Ō: "Bẹsīmehi" (Sorata); Ava: down (Sanskrit, CDIAL 726)

Kehel-ẹlla: Divulapitiya, Gampaha.

Gallệlla: Pujapitiya, Kandy; Thamankaduva, Polonnaruwa. Gal+ẹlla

Nīrẹlla: Akurana, Kandy

Toṭilla-gas-ẹlla: Minipe, Kandy. Toṭilla: a tree, Spathodia indica, another tree, Bigonia indica (Sinhala, Clough)

Ratnẹlla: Minipe, Kandy. Ratna+ẹlla; Ratna: gem

Piduru-ẹlla: Wilgamuwa, Matale

Baṁbara-kiri-ẹlla: Rattota, Matale. See Kiri-ẹlla; Baṁbara: bee, beehive

Ẹlla-kuṁbura: Walapane, Nuwara Eliya

Aṁban-ẹlla: Walapane, Nuwara Eliya

Ẹlla Taṇabaddē-gama: Elpitiya, Galle

Ẹlla-kanda Vaturāva: Baddegama, Galle

Ẹlla Ihaḷa: Yakkalamulla, Galle

Ẹllala-goḍa: Imaduwa, Galle. Ẹlla+la affix

Nā-pat-ẹlla: Pasgoda, Matara

Mī-ẹlla: Hakmana, Matara. Mī: honey, Mī tree

Unẹlla: Thihagoda, Matara. Una+ẹlla; Uṇa: bamboo

Ẹlla-gala: Thissamaharama, Hambantota

Bakki-ẹlla: Uhana, Ampara. Bakki: Bakmī ?

Ihaḷa-kokarẹlla: Ibbagamuwa, Kurunegala

Dōtẹlla: Panduwasnuwara West, Kurunegala

Mẹhi-ẹlla: Mallawapitiya, Kurunegala. Mẹhi: = Mẹsi (Sorata)

Pāli-ẹlla: Rideegama, Kurunegala. Pāli: border, bank, dam, embankment, "Miyara" (Sinhala, Sorata)

Ẹlla-vẹva: Kahatagasdigiliya, Anuradhapura; Galenbindunuwewa, Anuradhapura; Palagala, Anuradhapura

Debarẹlla: Lankapura, Polonnaruwa. Debara+ẹlla; Debarā: a large species of wasp or hornet (Sinhala, Clough)

Gallệlla: Thamankaduwa, Polonnaruwa; Ratnapura, Ratnapura. Gal+ẹlla

Kumāra Ẹlla: Elahera, Polonnaruwa

Ẹllanda: Meegahakivula, Badulla; Uva Paranagama, Badulla. Ẹlla+landa

Gẹrańḍi-ẹlla: Passara, Badulla. Gẹrańḍi: rat snake (Sinhala, Clough); Gẹrańḍi-dūl: a plant, Ichnocarpus frutescens (Sinhala, Clough)

Hāńgili-ẹlla: Uva Paranagama, Badulla. Hāńgilla: a species of bindweed, Ipomæa digitata (Sinhala, Clough); Hańguḷu: a ferry made by joining two canoes, a herb, a fish (Sinhala, Sorata); Hańgulu: a herb, a fish (Sinhala, Sorata)

Pāḷugama Ẹlla: Welimada, Badulla. Pāḷugama: abandoned village

Kital-ẹlla: Ella, Badulla. Kital: 1. Hintāla, Kitul, Caryota urens; 2. Ińdi-gasa, marshy date, Phoenix paludosa (Sinhala, Sorata, Clough)

Rāvaṇā-ẹlla: Ẹlla, Badulla

Ẹlla-gama: Haputale, Badulla

Kavuḍẹlla: Bibile, Moneragala

Ińdi-gas-ẹlla: Siyambalanduwa, Moneragala

Kiri-ẹlla: Kiriella, Ratnapura. Kiri: milk, white colour

Ẹlla-gāva: Kiriella, Ratnapura

Alakola-ẹlla: Imbulpe, Ratnapura

Akarẹlla: Opanayake, Ratnapura. Akara+ẹlla; Akara: = Ākara: place having gem or minerals, "Ratnādiya upadina tẹna, Lōkādiya upadinā tẹna" (Sinhala, Sorata)

Hattẹlla: Opanayake, Ratnapura. Hat+ẹlla; Hat: = At: side

Niri-ẹlla: Elapatha, Ratnapura.

Ẹlla-hēna: Ayagama, Ratnapura

Māvanệlla: Mawanella, Kegalle. Mā+van+ẹlla

Dik-ẹlla: Kegalle, Kegalle; Dehiovita, Kegalle

Vẹl-hẹlla: Warakapola, Kegalle

Nivut-hẹlla: Ruwanwella, Kegalle. Probably, Niviti: a plant, Malabar nightshade, Basella alba

Bẹhẹnẹlla: Deraniyagala, Kegalle




Revised: Wednesday, 10 May 2017, 18:30

First published: Saturday, 21 July 2007, 01:00