Know the Etymology: 51
Place Name of the Day: Sunday, 04 June 2017

Vaṇṇār-paṇṇai, Uvāyaṭip-paṇṇai

வண்ணார்பண்ணை, உவாயடிப்பண்ணை
Vaṇṇār-paṇṇai, Uvāyaṭip-paṇṇai

Vaṇṇār+paṇṇai
Uvāy+aṭi+paṇṇai

The pond, workplace or assembly of the community of washermen

The farm in the locality of an Uvāy tree

Paṇṇai1	tank, pond, lake (Tamil, MTL, Tivākaram, 5: 61); seems to be a kind of pond different from Vāvi and Ēri (Tamil, Cilappatikāram, 11: 13; 13: 192; 14: 1); a basin or trench built around the base of tree to water it (Tamil, MTL); probably from the root Paṇṇu: (verb) to make, construct, to make anything with consideration and skill (Tamil, DED 3884). See Paṇṇai 2
Paṇṇai2	farm (contemporary Tamil usage); agricultural tract, paddy field, garden, cultivated plot of ground (Tamil, DED 3891, MTL); related to Paṇai: agricultural tract (Tamil, DED 3891, Akanāṉūṟu 91: 14); anvil of ironsmith's workshop (Tamil, Akanāṉūṟu, 238: 5); threshing ground of a paddy field (Tamil, Periyapurāṇam, 838); own cultivation (Tamil, MTL); Paṇa: ground which is worked, including stone-quarry (Malayalam, DED 3891); Paṇe: ground that is worked, tillage, quarry (Kannada, DED 3891); Paṇ: service, work, employment, decoration (Tamil, DED 3884); Paṇi: work, service, performance (Tamil, DED 3884); Paṇ-paṭuttu: (verb) to refine, temper, season etc.; to prepare or make suitable for tillage as land (Tamil, MTL)
Paṇṇai3	multitude of people, large family, assembly, establishment of farm workers, (Tamil, MTL, Piṅkalam, 5: 223); probably from, 1. Gathering in a work place (see Paṇṇai 2); 2. Paṇai: bigness, thickness; (verb) to extend, to grow close as branches (Tamil, DED 3894)
Paṇṇai4	large boat (Tamil, MTL citing Jaffna diction). See column 205 for etymology and toponymic examples
Vaṇṇār	the community of washermen (Tamil, DED 5241, inscription, 765 CE, EI, xxxvi, 20); Vaṇṇāṉ: washerman (Tamil, Malayalam, DED 5241, 10th century CE, Tiruttoṇṭar Tiruvantāti, 44); Vaṇṇattār: = Vaṇṇār (Tamil, inscription, 905 CE, TASSI, 1962-65, p. 1-31); Vaṇṇattāṉ: = Vaṇṇāṉ (Tamil, Malayalam, DED 5241, inscription, 978 CE, SII, iii, 151-151a); Vaṇṇāttaṉ: = Vaṇṇāṉ (Tamil, DED 5241); Vaṇṇātti: feminine form of Vaṇṇāṉ (Tamil, Malayalam, DED 5241); Vaṇṇāram: the profession of Vaṇṇār (Tamil, Nīlakēci, 4: 14); M/ V change; Maṇṇāṉ: washerman of the Ādi Dravidas (Tamil, DED 4684); washerman (Malayalam, DED 4684, inscription, 1696 CE, TAS, vii, p. 26-29); Maṇṇu: (verb) to wash, to clean by washing (Tamil, DED 4684, Akanāṉūṟu, 136: 13; Puṟnāṉūṟu, 399: 22); Maṇṇuṟu: (verb) to wash, cleanse (Tamil, DED 4684, Kuṟuntokai, 367: 6-7);
Uvāy	1. The toothbrush tree, Salvadora persica; 2. A timber tree, Dillenia indica the former is more appropriate to the place name in Mannār. See column 218 for etymology and related place names.

See boxes above and usage examples below for the different shades of meaning of the term Paṇṇai in Tamil and etymological possibilities.

Paṇṇai meaning a pond seems to be the most appropriate for the toponym Vaṇṇār-paṇṇai.

In the other place names cited in the column Paṇṇai means a farm. These place names are of recent origin.

In another old usage, Paṇṇai was meaning a large cargo-boat, as in the place name Paṇṇait-tuṟai in Jaffna city. See column 205 for discussion on this term.

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Paṇṇai meaning pond or tank:

"அலந்தை பண்ணை….வாவி" (திவாகரம், 5: 61)

"Alantai paṇṇai….vāvi" (Tivākaram, 5: 61)

Alantai, Paṇṇai etc. mean tank or pond


"புறஞ் சிறைப் பொழிலும் பிறங்கு நீர்ப் பண்ணையும் இறங்கு கதிர்க் கழனியும்" (சிலப்பதிகாரம், 14: 1)

"Puṟañ ciṟaip poḻilum piṟaṅku nīrp paṇṇaiyum iṟaṅku katirk kaḻaṉiyum" (Cilappatikāram, 14: 1)

The grove in the outskirts, pond that is full of water and paddy fields of stooping (matured and heavy) spikes


Paṇṇai differentiated from Ēri:

"வெள்ள நீர்ப் பண்ணையும் விரி நீர் ஏரியும்" (சிலப்பதிகாரம், 13: 192)

"Veḷḷa nīrp paṇṇaiyum viri nīr ēriyum" (Cilappatikāram, 13: 192)

The Paṇṇai having flood-like water and the Ēri having expanse of water


Paṇṇai differentiated from Vāvi:

"வள நீர்ப் பண்ணையும் வாவியும் பொலிந்ததோர் இளமரக் கானம்" (சிலப்பதிகாரம், 11: 13-14

"Vaḷa nīrp paṇṇaiyum vāviyum polintatōr iḷamarak kāṉam" (Cilappatikāram, 11: 13-14

A grove of young trees enriched by the presence of a water-abounding Paṇṇai and a Vāvi

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Paṇṇai/ Paṇai meaning agricultural tract:

"பசி என அறியாப் பணை பயில் இருக்கை" (அகநானூறு, 91: 14)

"Paci eṉa aṟiyāp paṇai payil irukkai" (Akanāṉūṟu, 91: 14)

The settlement in the agricultural tract that doesn't know what is hunger

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The word-form Vaṇṇār, meaning washermen as a caste or professional community, is seen in Tamil inscriptions and literature only after 8th century CE.

The word in this meaning is also found only in Tamil and Malayalam (DED 5241).

The etymology is traced to an earlier Dravidian verb, Maṇṇu that was used in Caṅkam diction in the meaning to wash, clean etc. (DED 4684).

The usage of Maṇṇāṉ in the meaning of washerman seen in some later inscriptions coming especially from the Travancore region and the continuity of the usage in Malayalam and in the dialects of certain ancient communities among Tamils, strengthen the case of tracing the etymology of Vaṇṇār to the old Tamil verb Maṇṇu (M/ V change).

The other possibility is the use of the word Vaṇṇam in Tamil (cognate of Varṇa in Sanskrit and Vaṇṇa in Pali/ Prakrit, CDIAL 11338), since Caṅkam times (Naṟṟiṇai, 148: 1), to mean colour and appearance, and the relationship in the professions of washing and dying.

The water sources that were used for washing clothes had a special identity, as they were not used for other purposes. Almost every major settlement had a water source reserved for this purpose and hence the large number of place names and locality names associated with them (see related place names). The popularity of textile dying industry in the past may be another reason.

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Usage examples of Vaṇṇār:

"வண்ணா[ர்] காணம்" (Tamil inscription, 765 CE, EI, xxxvi, 20)

"Vaṇṇā[r] kāṇam" (Tamil inscription, 765 CE, EI, xxxvi, 20)

Tax on washermen


"வண்ணாரச்-சேரி" (Tamil inscription, 892 CE, SII, vi, 535)

"Vaṇṇārac-cēri" (Tamil inscription, 892 CE, SII, vi, 535)

The settlement of Vaṇṇār

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Maṇṇu, Maṇṇi etc. as verbs meaning to wash or clean:

"மண்ணிய சென்ற ஒள் நுதல் அரிவை" (குறுந்தொகை, 292: 1-2)

"Maṇṇiya ceṉṟa oḷ nutal arivai" (Kuṟuntokai, 292: 1-2)

The woman of bright forehead who went to take bath


"மண்ணு மணி அன்ன" (அகநானூறு, 136: 13)

"Maṇṇu maṇi aṉṉa" (Akanāṉūṟu, 136: 13)

Like a washed and cleaned gem

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Maṇṇāṉ meaning washerman in Malayalam region:

அகத்து அகப்பட்ட நாட்டில் பிலப் பேடியும் மண்ணாப்-பேடியும் இல்ல (1696 CE, Travancore Archaeological Series, vii, p. 26-29)

Akattu akappaṭṭa nāṭṭil pilap pēṭiyum maṇṇāp-pēṭiyum illa (1696 CE, Travancore Archaeological Series, vii, p. 26-29)

Within the limits of this country no affliction comes by the look of a Pulaiyaṉ or Maṇṇāṉ [In later times, the term stood for the community that washes clothes for the lowest echelons of the society]

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Vaṇṇār-paṇṇai, which is a part of Jaffna city, comes under Nallūr division of Jaffna district. During Dutch times and later, the place developed to give identity to a large area that became the native quarter of Jaffna city.

Uvāyaṭip-paṇṇai is in Mannar Town division of Mannar district

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Some related place names:

Paṇṇai as farm:

Āṉantam-paṇṇai: Karaichchi, Kilinochchi

Irattiṉam-paṇṇai: Karaichchi, Kilinochchi

Kōṉār-paṇṇai: Mannar Town, Mannar

Mīrākkā-paṇṇai: Mannar Town, Mannar

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Vaṇṇār:

Vaṇṇāṉ-kēṇi: Pachchilaippalli, Kilinochchi; Kaḷutāvaḷai, Kalmunai OIS

Vaṇṇāṉ-piṭṭi: Kandavalai, Kilinochchi

Vaṇṇā-mōṭṭai: Mannar, Mannar; Nanaddan, Mannar; Koṇṭacci, Murunkan OIS

Vaṇṇā-kuḷam: Manthai, Mannar; Nanaddan, Mannar; Musali. Mannar; Aṭampaṉ, Mantai OIS; Āttimōṭṭai, Mantai OIS; Periyakaṭṭaikkāṭu, Murunkan OIS; Paṇikkappettāṉkuḷam, Murunkan OIS

Vaṇṇā-maṭu: Karaithuraippattu, Mullaiththeevu

Vaṇṇāṉ-kuḷam: Karaithuraippattu, Mullaiththeevu; Neṭuntīvu, Delft OIS; Puṅkuṭutīvu, Delft OIS; Kārainakar, Jaffna OIS; Paḻai, Elephant Pass OIS; Muḷḷiyāṉ, Elephant Pass OIS; Pūnakari-Nallūr, Pooneryn OIS; Poṉṉāveḷi, Pooneryn, OIS; Kumuḻamuṉai-Nāccikkuṭā, Tunukkai OIS; Pālāvi, Puttalam; Kumuḻamuṉai-Mullaittīvu, Kokkilai OIS; Paṭṭiruppu, Kalmunai OIS

Vaṇṇāṉ-vayal: Karaithuraippattu, Mullaiththeevu

Vaṇṇāttip-pālam: Karathuraippattu, Mullaiththeevu

Vari-vaṇṇāṉ-kuḷam: Karaithuraippattu, Mullaiththeevu

Vaṇṇāttiyāṟu: Vaṇṇātti+āṟu: Eravurpattu, Batticaloa

Vaṇṇā-teru: Kārainakar, Jaffna

Vaṇṇāṉ-tuṟaik-kuḷam: Mukamālai, Point Pedro OIS

Vaṇṇār-aṭampaṉ-kuḷam:

Periya-vaṇṇā-kuḷam: Nānāṭṭāṉ, Murunkan OIS

Vaṇṇāṉ-kallu-puḷiyaṅ-kuḷam: Paṟaiyaṉālaṅkuḷam, Murunkan OIS

Vaṇṇātti-villu: Karaṭippūval, Kalpitti OIS; Talaivillu, Kalpitti OIS; Maturamaṭu-vempu, Puttalam OIS

Vaṇṇā-mēṭṭut-tiṭal: Kiṇṇiyā, Trincomalee

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Vaṇṇāṉ/ Vaṇṇātti: (Sinhalicized place names)

Vannam-maḍuva: Thirappane, Anuradhapura. Vaṇṇāṉ-maṭu

Vannam-kulama: Thirappane, Anuradhapura; Galenbindunuwewa, Anuradhapura. Vaṇṇāṉ-kuḷam

Vanāta-villuva: Vanathawilluwa, Puttalam. Vaṇṇātti-villu, as noted in OIS

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Revised: Sunday, 04 June 2017, 18:30

First published: Friday, 10 August 2007, 01:00