Know the Etymology: 41
Place Name of the Day: Sunday, 16 April 2017

Muṟippu, Kūḻā-muṟippu, Taṇṇi-muṟippuk-kuḷam, Virāl-murippuva

முறிப்பு, கூழாமுறிப்பு, தண்ணிமுறிப்புக்குளம், விரால் முரிப்புவ
Muṟippu, Kūḻā-muṟippu, Taṇṇi-muṟippuk-kuḷam, Virāl-murippuva

Muṟippu
Kūḻā+muṟippu
Taṇṇi+muṟippu+kuḷam
Virāl+murippuva

(The tank of) the barrage or dam

(The tank of) the barrage or dam in the locality of Kūḻā trees

The tank caused by damming or barring the course of water

(The tank of) the barrage or dam found with Virāl fish

Muṟippu	a barrage or dam, usually built across a forest stream, small river, canal etc., to divert the course of water or to store water in a tank; the term also stands for the tank caused by the barrage or dam, whether followed by the suffix Kuḷam or not; usage noticed especially in Vaṉṉi (Eezham Tamil); Muṟi-kuḷam: = Aṇai-muṟi-kuḷam: a tank caused by barring water through a dam (Tamil, Piṅkalam, 10: 951); Muṟi: (verb) to break, cut, discontinue (Tamil, DED 5008)
Murippuva	Sinhalicised form of Muṟippu. See Muṟippu
Kūḻā	a wild tree; the small, shelly fruits of which are pulpy and acidic (Eezham Tamil); Kūḻ: thick gruel (Tamil, DED 1911); Kuḻai: (verb) to become pulpy (Tamil, DED 1822); citing Jaffna Dictionary, MTL equates Kūḻā to Naṟuvili: Sebesten plum, Cordia myxa (Tamil, DED 3627); as a synonym of Kūḻā, Naṟuvili is also used in Eezham Tamil (see related place names); MTL cites varieties of Naṟuvili, such as, Ciṟu-naṟuvili, Peru-naṟuvili, Nāy-naṟuvili; common sebesten, Cordia oblique-typica, Cordia rothii, Cordia subcordata and Cordia monoica (Tamil, MTL); Naṟuḷi: = Naṟuvili (Tamil, DED 3627); Viracu: large sebesten, Cordia oblique-typica (Tamil, MTL, DED 5408); Lōla, Lōḷu: Cordia myxa (Sinhala, Clough); Ōlu-gas: probably Lōḷu (Sinhala, place names); Lōlai: Cordia myxa (rarely seen in Eezham Tamil place names, as in Lōlai-ciṭṭi)
Virāl	= Varāl: as a freshwater fish it is equated to Keṇṭai, Barbus (Tamil, MTL citing Jaffna Dictionary); as a sea fish it means Murrel and Black Murrel (Tamil, MTL, DED 5262); Varala: fins and tail of a fish (Sinhala, Clough)
Taṇṇi	colloquial form of Taṇṇīr: cold water, water (Tamil, DED 3045); Taṇ: cold, cool (Tamil, DED 3045, cognates in 12 Dravidian languages); Dravidian influence is cited for corresponding words in some IA languages (CDIAL 13676-2); Nīr: (noun) water; (verb) to become thin or watery, be wet, moist (Tamil, DED 3690, cognates in 15 Dravidian languages; Nīra meaning water in Sanskrit is traced to Dravidian, CDIAL 7552)
Kuḷam	tank, reservoir, lake, (Tamil, DED 1828). See column 18

In the Vaṉṉi usage of Eezham Tamil, Muṟippu means a barrage or dam and it also stands for a tank caused by such a structure.

Muṟippuk-kuḷam is the full term for such a tank, but often the suffix is dropped in place names.

Murippu is an inferior kind of dam. It is usually built across forest streams, small rivers and canals. The hydraulics suits the geography of Vaṉṉi, where forest streams are the main source of water. The resultant tanks are also usually small in size.

Muṟippu comes from the root-verb Muṟi in Tamil/ Dravidian, meaning to break. Deriving from this verb, Muṟippu meaning a barrage or dam that breaks the course of water is a Vaṉṉi-dialect word form, because in mainstream Tamil usage Muṟippu means a breach.

However, a phrase Muṟi-kuḷam, meaning a dam-bound tank, could be seen in the old Tamil lexicon Piṅkalam.

See related place names below for other Muṟi-related toponymic usages such as Muṟiya, Muṟiccāṉ and Muṛippāṉ.

Murippuva is the Sinhala form of Muṟippu, seen in Anuradhapura district.

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Reference to Muṟi-kuḷam in old Tamil:

"அணை முறி குளமும் பூராடமும் முறி குளம்" (பிங்கல நிகண்டு, 10: 951)

"Aṇai muṟi kuḷamum pūrāṭamum muṟi kuḷam" (Piṅkala Nikaṇṭu, 10: 951)

A tank of dam-stopped water and the Pūrāṭam constellation (the 20th lunar mansion shaped like a tank) are called Muṟi-kuḷam

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Kūḻā is the Eezham Tamil name of a commonly found wild tree, Cordia myxa. The etymology seems to be related to its small, shelly fruits that are pulpy inside, as Kūḻ means pulp in Tamil/ Dravidian. Naṟuvili, a standard Tamil term for the tree, is also found used in some place names. The tree goes under the name Lōlu in Sinhala place names. Its Tamil form Lōlai could be seen very rarely in Eezham Tamil place names.

Virāl and Varāl in Tamil mean the freshwater fish Barbus as well as the sea fish Murrel. It means the freshwater variety in the context of the place name cited.

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Muṟippu comes as a place name in Karaithuṟaippattu division of Mullaiththeevu district.

Kūḻā-muṟippu is in Oddusuddan division of Mullaiththeevu district.

Taṇṇi-muṟippuk-kuḷam is a large reservoir and place in Karaithuraippattu division of Mullaiththeevu district. The place is often noted as Taṇṇi-muṟippu

Virāl-murippuva is a place in Medawachchiya division of Anuradhapura district.

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Some related place names:


Muṟippu:

Taṇṇi-muṟippu-valatu-karai: Karaithuraippattu, Mullaiththeevu. The right-side bank of Taṇṇi-muṟippu

Maṅkaiyaṉ-muṟippu: Kandavalai, Kilinochchi. Maṅkaiyaṉ: a personal name or village name as in Vaṭuva-maṅkai, Trincomalee

Puliṅka-tēvaṉ-muṟippu: Kandavalai, Kilinochchi. Puliṅka-tēvaṉ: a personal name

Putu-muṟippu: Karaichchi, Kilinochchi. Putu: new

Vēṭṭaiyā-muṟippu: Manthai West, Mannar. Vēṭṭai: hunt

Akatti-muṟippu: Madu, Mannar; Musali, Mannar. Akatti: a tree

Periya-muṟippu: Madu, Mannar

Kaṟukkāy-muṟippu: Nanaddan, Mannar. Kaṟukkāy: = Kaṭukkāy: Chebulic myrobalan, Terminalia chebula (Tamil, DED 1134); the form Kaṟukkāy is closer to Karakkāya in Telugu (DED 1134)

Mūṉṟu-muṟippu: also Mūṇṭu-muṟippu: Manthai East, Mullaiththeevu; near Ōmantai, Vavuniya OIS; Īṟaṟperiyakuḷam, Vavuniya OIS; near Aliyaṉ-cāynta-kuḷam, Vavuniya OIS. Mūṉṟu: three (Tamil, DED 5052); Mūṉṟu-muṟippu: a three-sectioned dam or barrage; compare it with the place name Muk-kompaṉ, and also note the place names, Nālu-muṟippu and Ēḻu-muṟippu

Karuppaṭṭa-muṟippu: also Karippaṭṭa-muṟippu: Oddusuddan, Mullaiththeevu

Maṇavāḷam-paṭṭa-muṟippu: also, Maṇavāḷaṉ-paṭṭa-muṟippu: Oddusuddan, Mullaiththeevu. Maṇal-vāḷam?

Nālu-muṟippu: Oddusuddan, Mullaiththeevu. See Mūṉṟu-muṟippu

Peruṅ-karuvēppa-muṟippu: Oddusuddan, Mullaiththeevu

Ārāyciyā-muṟippu: Karaithuraippattu, Mullaiththeevu

Nāyaṭitta-muṟippu: Karaithuraippattu, Mullaiththeevu. Nāy: in this context probably, Nīr-nāy: otter (Tamil, DED 3690b)

Civanta-muṟippu: Karaithuraippattu, Mullaiththeevu. Comes as Cuvanta-muṟippu in Kokilai OIS

Kaṭṭu-muṟivu: Koralaippattu, Batticaloa. The dammed diversion; could also mean a breached dam

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Muṟi in non-suffix position:

Muṟi-kaṇṭi: Thunukkai, Mullaiththeevu. Kaṇṭi: part; Muṟi-kaṇṭi in this context means the locality of a barrage or dam. Compare the place name with Muru-kaṇṭiya in Bingiriya, Kurunegala and Muriya-kadavala in Anuradhapura district

Paḻaiya-muṟi-kaṇṭi: Thunukkai, Mullaiththeevu. Paḻaiya: old; this is to differentiate the original place from Teru-muṟikaṇṭi, the roadside part of the place that has become popular later

Teru-muṟi-kaṇṭi: Oddusuddan, Mullaiththeevu. Teru: road. This is a roadside part of Muṟikaṇṭi, located by the Jaffna-Kandy highway. Having a temple and as a stopover for vehicles, this is the place popularly recognised as Muṟikaṇṭi. See Muṟi-kaṇṭi and Paḻaiya-muṟi-kaṇṭi

Muṟippāṉ-karai: Oddusuddan, Mullaiththeevu. The side or bank of the Muṟippu

Muṟiya-kuḷam: Oddusuddan, Mullaiththeevu; Manthai East, Mullaiththeevu

Kuñcu-muṟiya-kuḷam: Oddusuddan, Mullaiththeevu

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Some Sinhala place names related to Muṟi:

Muriya-kaḍavala: Galenbindunuwewa, Anuradhapura; Thirappane, Anuradhapura; Kekirawa, Anuradhapura OIS

Kaṭṭu-muriccāna: Kaṭṭu-muṟiccāṉ: Thirappane, Anuradhapura. See Kaṭṭu-muṟivu, Ciṉṉa-muṟiccāṉ-kuḷam and Muṟippāṉ-karai

Muru-kaṇṭiya: Bingiriya, Kurunegala. See Muṟi-kaṇṭi

Gal-muruva: Madampe, Puttalam. Muruva: probably a variation of Muriya

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Some more Muṟi-related place names from One Inch Sheets:

Putu-muṟippuk-kuḷam: Kilinochchi, Iranamadu OIS

Ciṉṉa-muṟiccāṉ-kuḷam: near Paṇikkaṉ-kuḷam, Iranamadu OIS. Ciṉṉa: small; Muṟiccāṉ comes as an equivalent of Muṟippāṉ/ Muṟippu

Ālaṭi-muṟippuk-kuḷam: near Vaṭṭakkacci, Iranamadu OIS; near Tōṇikkallu, Murunkan OIS

Paṉiccaṉ-muṟippuk-kuḷam: near Oddusuddan, Iranamadu OIS. Paṉiccai: a tree of the species Diospyros (Tamil, DED 4036)

Cittāṇṭi-muṟippuk-kuḷam: near Karuppaṭṭamuṟippu, Iranamadu OIS

Uṭaiyār-muṟippuk-kuḷam: near Karuppaṭṭamuṟippu, Iranamadu OIS. Uṭaiyār: lord, chief

Periya-muṟippuk-kuḷam: Kaccilaimaṭu, Iranamadu OIS

Kaliya-muṟippuk-kuḷam: near Kaṉṉāṭṭi, Murunkan OIS

Mūṉṟu-muṟippuk-kuḷam: near Paṟaiyaṉālaṅkuḷam, Murunkan OIS

Vairavi-mūṉṟu-muṟippuk-kuḷam: near Kōyil-puḷiyaṅkuḷam, Vavuniya OIS. Vairavi: see column 394

Ēḻu-muṟippuk-kuḷam: near Cūṭuventapulvu, Vavuniya OIS. Ēḻu: seven (Tamil, DED 910)

Nālu-muṟippuk-kuḷam: near Kaḷḷikkuḷam, Vavuniya OIS. Nālu: four (Tamil, DED 3655); see Mūṉṟu-muṟippu

Kusala-muṟippu: Kokilai OIS. Probably Kusa+la; Kusa: potter

Itti-muṟippuk-kuḷam: Pulmōṭṭai, Kokilai OIS

Kal-muṟippuk-kuḷam: Pulmōṭṭai, Kokilai OIS. Kal-muṟippu: stone barrage or dam

Cuvanta-muṟippuk-kuḻam: Kokkuttoṭuvāi, Kokilai OIS

Ētaṇṭa-muṟippuk-kuḷam: Padawiya OIS. Ētaṇṭa: Ēdaṇḍa (Sinhala); bridge as well as barrage; see column 338

Ẹhi-muṟippuk-kuḷam: Padawiya OIS. Ẹhi (Sinhala); probably means a joined barrage

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Kūḻā:

Kūḻāṅ-kuḷam: near Kaṉṉāṭṭi, Mantai OIS; Pampaimaṭu, Vavuniya OIS; Matavu-vaitta-kuḷam, Vavuniya OIS

Cāstiri-kūḻāṅ-kuḷam: Vavuniya, Vavuniya

Pēyāṭi-kūḻāṅ-kuḷam: Vavuniya OIS. Pēyāṭi: devil dancer

Vaikāḷi-kūḻāṅ-kuḷam: Vavuniya OIS

Tavaci-kūḻāṅ-kuḷam: Vavuniya OIS. Tavasi: hermit or mendicant

Kūḻāvaṭi: Kūḻā+aṭi: Manmunaippattu North, Batticaloa

Kūḻā-mōṭṭai: Karaithuraippattu, Mullaiththeevu

Kūḻaṉ-kēṇi: Karaveṭṭi Centre, Jaffna (HAM records)

Kūḻāvic-cēṉai: Kūḻā+āvi+cēṉai: near Maturaṅkēṇi, Batticaloa OIS

Kūḻāk-kuḻi: Kokkuvil, Jaffna (Balasundaram, p. 105)

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Naṟuvili:

Naṟuvilik-kuḷam: Nanaddan, Mannar; Puttūr, Jaffna (the latter noted by Balasundaram, p. 229)

Naṟuvili-āṟu: a tributary of Aruvi-āṟu, near Ceṭṭi-kuḷam, OIS

Naṟuviliyaṭi: Naruvili+aṭi: Kokkuvil, Jaffna (Balasundaram, p. 105)

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Lōlu:

Lōlu-gas-vẹva: Medawachchiya, Anuradhapura; Galnewa, Anuradhapura

Lōlu-gas-kaḍa: Punewa, Vavuniya OIS. Kaḍa: forest

Ōlu-gas-kaḍa: Horowupotana OIS. Kaḍa: forest

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Lōlai:

Lōlai-ciṭṭi: a locality in Arāli West, Valikamam West, Jaffna, (V. Almanac)

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Revised: Sunday, 16 April 2017, 20:10

First published: Wednesday, 25 July 2007, 01:00