Know the Etymology: 54
Place Name of the Day: Saturday, 06 May 2017

Nuraic-cōlai, Kokkaṭṭic-cōlai, Puṉṉaic-cōlai, Camiḷañ-cōlai, Tumpalañ-cōlai, Mutirañ-cōlai

நுரைச்சோலை, கொக்கட்டிச்சோலை, புன்னைச்சோலை, சமிளஞ்சோலை, தும்பலஞ்சோலை, முதிரஞ்சோலை
Nuraic-cōlai, Kokkaṭṭic-cōlai, Puṉṉaic-cōlai, Camiḷañ-cōlai, Tumpalañ-cōlai, Mutirañ-cōlai

Nurai+cōlai
Kokkaṭṭi+cōlai
Puṉṉai+cōlai
Camiḷai+cōlai
Tumpalai+cōlai
Mutirai+cōlai

The grove or forest of Nurai trees

The grove or forest of Kokkaṭṭi trees

The grove or forest of Puṉṉai trees

The grove or forest of Camiḷai trees

The grove or forest of Thumpalai trees

The grove or forest of Mutirai trees

Cōlai	grove, flower garden (Tamil, DED 2891, Kuṟuntokai, 201: 6); Cōla: grove, shade, cool retreat (Malayalam DED 2891); Sole: jungle with trees (Badaga, DED 2891); Colgn: man of a forest tribe (Kota, DED 2891); Swal: jungle (Toda, DED 2891); Cālā: grove, sacred grove (Kurux, DED 2891); Cale: grove (Maltese, DED 2891); Sōlē, Sōla: Sinhala form of Cōlai (Sinhala place names); Tel: forest (Kota, DED 2891); Tōlai, Ōlai: grove (Eezham Tamil place names, especially in Jaffna). See columns 74 and 311
Kokkaṭṭi1	a tree that could be traced to Garcinia ternophylla or to Garcinia morella through Sinhala references (Eezham Tamil); Kokaṭiya: Garcinia ternophylla of the Guttiferae family (Sinhala, Clough); Gokaṭu: Gamboge tree, Garcinia morella of the Guttiferae family, also called Kana-goraka (Sinhala, Clough); Kokku+aṭṭi: 1. Probably related to Koṟukkāy, Koṭukkāy: Garcinia gambogia (Tamil, MTL, Koṟukku, Koṭukku > Kokku); Goraka: Garcinia gambogia (Sinhala, Clough); 2. Probably from the hook-tipped fruit of Garcinia species like Garcinia xanthochymus; Kokku: mango tree (Tamil, DED 2033, probably from the hooked tip of mango fruit); Kukku: a mango (Tulu, DED 2033); Kokki: hook (Tamil, DED 2032); Kokka, Koku: hook (Sinhala, Clough); 3. Probably related to Kokum: Malabar tamarind, Garcinia indica, native of Western Ghats (The Hindu, 21-11-2014); probably from the saffron colour; Kokum, Kokuň: saffron (Sinhala, Clough); Kuṅkuma: saffron (Sanskrit, CDIAL 3214); Aṭṭi: 1. Probably related to Ẹṭi, Ẹṭa: kernel, seed (Sinhala, Sorata); Aṇṭi: kernel, stone of mango etc., nut (Malayalam, DED 126); Aṭi: stone or seed of a fruit (Maltese, DED 126); Aṣṭi: kernel of fruit (Sanskrit, CDIAL 955); 2. Probably related to Ōṭe: Garcinia pictoria (Kannada, DED 1044); Ōṭe-puḷi: fruit of Garcinia cambogia (Tulu, DED 1044)
Kokkaṭṭi2	a plant or shrub (Tamil, Kathiraiverpillai); Kokaṭi, Kokẹṭi: a shrub, "Rankiri-gokaṭu-gasa" (Sinhala, Sorata); Kokaṭiya, Kekaṭiya: an aquatic plant, Aponogeton crispum (Sinhala, Sorata, Clough); Gokaṭu: cow's thorn, Tribulus terrestris, "Hīn nereňci nam pẹḷệṭijātiya" (Sinhala, Sorata, Neruñci in Tamil)
Nurai	a fruit tree, Longan, smaller cousin of lychee, Nephelium longanum (Eezham Tamil, Batticaloa and Puttalam usage); probably from the translucent, jelly-like flesh of the fruit; Nurai: foam, froth, bubble (Tamil, DED 3710); Murali, Muraḷi and Mutali are the names of this fruit in Vanni usage, Mora is the name in Sinhala. See another column on Mora
Puṉṉai	also Piṉṉai: a tree usually found in coastal tract, mast-wood, Calophyllum inophyllum (Tamil, DED 4343, Kuṟuntokai, 5:2); cognates found in 5 South Dravidian languages; Puna: Calophyllum inophyllum (Old Sinhala, Clough); = Doṁba (Sinhala, Clough); Funa: Calophyllum inophyllum (Dhivehi/ Maldivian, DBF); Funā: Calophyllum inophyllum (Minicoy, DBF); Puṉṉākam: Calophyllum inophyllum (Tamil, Kuṟiñcippāṭṭu, 91); Punnāga: Calophyllum inophyllum (Old Sinhala, Clough); Pumnāga: Calophyllum inophyllum (Sanskrit lexicons, CDIAL 8244)
Camuḷai	also, Camiḷai, Camaḷai: a valuable timber tree, Trincomalee Red Wood, Berrya ammonilla (Eezham Tamil); Camuḷ: Trincomalee Red Wood, Berrya ammonilla (Tamil, MTL, Malai Akarāti); Camaṇṭalai, Cavaṇṭalai, Cavaṇṭilai: Trincomalee Red Wood, Berrya ammonilla (Tamil, MTL, Jaffna diction cited for Camaṇṭalai, Lashington's Madras Presidency glossary cited for Cavaṇṭalai and Mūlikai Akarāti cited for Cavaṇṭilai); Halmīlla, Halmilila: Trincomalee Wood, Berrya ammonilla (Sinhala, Clough, Milila and Mīlla are names of another timber tree)
Tumpalai	also Tumpaḷai: probably, 1. a tree, Diospyros embryopteris, also called Paṉiccai, from which a kind of resin is obtained for caulking vessels and from the fruit of which a tannin is obtained to preserve fishing nets; cognate of Tiṁbiri in Sinhala; Tumpili: Coromandal ebony, Diopyros melanoxylon, Diospyros tupru (Tamil, DED 3329); Tumpi: Diospyros tomentosa, Ceylon ebony, Diopyros ebenum (Tamil, DED 3329); Tumpai: Diopyros tomentosa (Tamil, DED 3329); 2. Dummala: a tree yielding resin, a kind of resin (Sinhala, Clough). See box on Tiṁbiri in column 182
Mutirai	1. a valuable timber tree, East India Satin Wood, Ceylon Satin wood, Chloroxylon swietenia (Tamil, MTL citing Winslow, usage especially noticed in Eezham Tamil); 2. pulse or other leguminous plants (Tamil, DED 4953, Patiṟṟppattu, 55: 7); the tree name has probably come from the smooth, light-coloured wood of the tree; Muttu > Mutirai; the pulse meaning could also be traced to Muttu: pearl, seed; Muruntu: white sprout, pearl (Tamil, Piṅkalam, 9: 153; DED 4959); Mutirai > Murutai; Buruta: Chloroxylon swietenia (Sinhala, Clough, note the M/ B change); Puracu: Chloroxylon swietenia (Tamil, MTL)

In Eezham Tamil place names Cōlai, listed as a word of Dravidian etymology (DED 2891), is largely used to mean a forest or grove of wild trees.

Its variations, Tōlai (C/ T interchange), Tulā, Tulaval and Ōlai could also be seen in some Eezham Tamil place names (see column 74).

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Cōlai meaning a grove:

“Kaḻai nivantu ōṅkiya cōlai” (Kuṟuntokai, 201: 6)

“கழை நிவந்து ஓங்கிய சோலை” (குறுந்தொகை, 201: 6)

The grove where the bamboo grows abundant and high

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Nuraic-cōlai is found as a place name in Akkaraippattu division of Amparai district and in Kalpitti Peninisula of Puttalam district. The latter, noted as Nurai-cholai in Puttalam OIS, comes as Norocholai in official records.

Kokkaṭṭic-cōlai is a place in Manmunai Southwest division of Batticaloa district. There is another locality by the same name in Kaccāy in Thenmaradchi division of Jaffna district (Balasundaram, p. 386)

Puṉṉaic-cōlai is in Manmunai North division of Batticaloa district.

Tumpalañ-cōlai is a place in Eravurppattu division of Batticaloa district.

Camiḷañ-cōlai or Camuḷañ-cōlai is in Eravurppattu division of Batticaloa district.

Mutirañ-cōlai is a place in Karaithuraippattu division of Mullaiththeevu district.

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Some related place names:

Cōlai:

Cōlai: Musali, Mannar; Karaichchi, Kilinochchi; Puthukkudiyiruppu, Mullaithheevu

Vīrac-cōlai: Navithanveli, Amparai. Vīraic-cōlai; Vīrai: a widely found forest tree in the dry zone, Drypetes sepiaria

Kākkilac-cōlai: Eravurppattu, Batticaloa; Koralaippattu, Batticaloa. Kẹkuḷu: = Kẹkuṇa (Sinhala, Sorata); Canarium zeylanicum (Sinhala, Clough)

Karuṅkālic-cōlai: Koralaippattu, Batticaloa; Muntal, Puttalam OIS. Karuṅkāli: ebony

Ciṉṉa-nuraic-cōlai: Koralaippattu, Batticaloa

Curavaṉac-cōlai: Koralaippattu, Batticaloa

Kaṟuvāc-cōlai: Eravurppattu, Batticaloa. Kaṟuvā: cinnamon

Orumulac-cōlai: Eravurppattu, Batticaloa

Pālaic-cōlai: Munthal, Puttalam; Kaṟpiṭṭi, Puttalam, Kalpitti OIS. Pālai: Manikara hexandra, Mimusops kauki

Camuḷañ-cōlaik-kuḷam: Eravurppattu, Batticaloa

Tēkkañ-cōlai: Eravurppattu, Batticaloa. Tēkku: Teak

Ventamaṇ-cōlai: Eravurppattu, Batticaloa

Putu-muṉmāric-cōlai: Poratheevuppattu, Batticaloa. Muṉmāri: type of cultivation field based on rainy season

Ālaṅ-kuḷattuc-cēṉai: Kuchchaveli, Trincomalee. Āl: Banyan

Maram-veṭṭic-cōlai: Kuchchaveli. Trincomalee. Maram-veṭṭi: where the trees are cut

Nāvaṟ-cōlai: Kuchchaveli, Trincomalee. Nāval: Eugenia jambolana

Vīrañ-cōlai: Kuchchaveli, Trincomalee. See Vīrac-cōlai

Māñ-cōlai: Kinniya, Trincomalee; Paḷḷivācalpāṭu. Puttalam (OIS). Mā: mango tree

Māñ-cōlaic-cēṉai: Kinniya, Trincomalee; Koralaippattu, Batticaloa. See Māñ-cōlai

Cōlai-veṭṭuvāṉ: Kinniya, Trincomalee

Civaṉ-cōlai: Karaichchi, Kiinochchi

Aṭampaṉ-cōlai: Karaichchi, Kilinochchi

Nākāñ-cōlai: Vavuniya OIS. Nā: a tree

Paḻac-cōlai: Porativupattu, Batticaloa; Eravurpattu, Batticaloa

Pilāc-cōlai: Batticaloa OIS. Pilā: Palā: jack

Marutañ-cōlai: Āraccikkaṭṭuva, Puttalam OIS (Noted as Maradan Sole). Marutu: Terminalia arjuna

Nākāñ-cōlai: name of the forest belt between Vavuṉiyā and Mẹdavācciya (OIS). Nākam: a tree noted for its fragrant flower (Tamil, Caṅkam diction, Ciṟupāṇāṟṟuppaṭai 88); also a term for the trees, Cura-puṉṉai, Puṉṉai, Ñāḻal and Nāval (Tamil, MTL); Nāga, Nā: the flowering tree Mesua ferrea (Sinhala, Clough)

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Sōlē: (Sinhala form of Cōlai)

Vīra-sōlē: Horowpothana, Anuradhapura. See Vīrac-cōlai

Sōlē-pura: Giribewa, Kurunegala

Sōlē-vẹva: Giribewa, Kurunegala

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Nurai:

Ciṉṉa-nuraic-cōlai: Koralaippattu, Batticaloa

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Nora: (Sinhala form of Nurai)

Nora-golla: a place near Ratnapura (National Atlas, p. 27)

Nora-galla: Nivithigala, Ratnapura

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Kokkaṭṭi: (Tamil)

Kokkaṭṭiyāṉ-kāṭu: Kaccāy, Thenmaradchi, Jaffna (Balsundaram, p. 386)

Nāval-kokkaṭṭiyāṉ: near Taṭṭuvāṉkoṭṭi, Karaichchi, Kilinochchi (OIS)

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Kokaṭi: (Sinhala)

Kokaṭiya-maḷuva: Hali-Ela, Badulla. Maḷuva: in this context means a yard or terrace that is built around a large tree, as in Bōdhi-maḷuva (Sinhala); Māṭam (Tamil, DED 4796)

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Camaḷai/ Camiḷai/ Camuḷai:

Camaḷaṅ-kuḷam: Vavuniya, Vavuniya

Kātaliyār-camaḷaṅ-kuḷam: Oddusuddan, Mullaiththeevu. Kātali: beloved woman

Camuḷañ-cōlaik-kuḷam: Eravurppattu, Batticaloa

Camuḷaiyaṭi-pottāṉai: Earvurpattu, Batticaloa

Camuḷaiyaṭi-vaṭṭai: Poratheevuppattu, Batticaloa

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Puṉṉai:

Puṉṉai-nīrāvi: Kandavalai, Kilinochchi

Puṉṉaik-kuṭā: Eravurppattu, Batticaloa

Puṉṉaik-kuḷam: Poaratheevuppattu, Batticaloa

Puṉṉaiyaṭi: Verukal, Trincomalee. Puṉṉai+aṭi

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Piṉṉai:

Piṉṉaiyaṭi: Vāḻaiccēṉai, Batticaloa; Kuṭārappu, Jaffna (V. Almanac, 2013-14, p. 102, p. 104; Piṉṉaiyaṭip Piḷḷaiyār temple, Piṉṉaiyaṭi Vairavar temple); Piṉṉai+ aṭi

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Mutirai:

Mutiraiyaṭi: Addalaichchenai, Amparai. Mutirai+aṭi

Mutiraik-kāṭu: Eravur, Batticaloa

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Buruta:

Buruta-kẹlē: Arachchikkattuwa, Puttalam

Buruta-golla: Buttala, Moneragala

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Tumpalai/ Tumpaḷai:

Tumpaḷai: Vadamaradchi North, Jaffna

Tumpaḷaip-piṭṭi: Vēlaṇai West, Kayts, Jaffna, (Balasundaram, p. 156)

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Tumbula:

Tuṁbulla: Nikaweratiya, Kurunegala; Alawwa, Kurunegala

Tuṁbullē-gama: Maho, Kurunegala; Rajanganaya, Anuradhapura

Tuṁbō-vila: Kesbewa, Colombo

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Dummala:

Dummala-deṇiya: Wennapuwa, Puttalam; Warakapola, Kegalle

Dummala-koṭuva: Dankotuwa, Puttalam

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Revised: Saturday, 06 May 2017, 18:30

First published: Saturday, 18 August 2007, 01:00