Know the Etymology: 62
Place Name of the Day: Tuesday, 27 June 2017

Tāra-kuḍi-villuva, Tārakaṉ-kōṭṭai

தாரகுடி₃ வில்லுவ, தாரகன் கோட்டை
Tāra-kuḍi-villuva, Tārakaṉ-kōṭṭai

Tāra+kuḍi+villuva
Tārakaṉ+kōṭṭai

The pond of the chief or clan of ferrymen/ boatmen/ navigators

The fortified place or residence of the navigator/ navigator-chief

Tārakuḍi	clan or caste of ferrymen/ boatmen/ navigators; from Tārikuḍi: ferryman, boatman; "Toṭiyā, Orukārayā" (Sinhala, Sorata citing Sinhala inscription, Epigraphia Zeylanica, Vol III, 112); Tāra+kuḍi; Tāra: crossing or passing over (Sinhala, Clough); Tāraka: crossing, act of passing over, float, raft, pilot, helmsman, steersman (Sinhala, Clough); Tara: raft, float, passing over, crossing, road; "Etera vīmaṭa upakāra vana oruva" (Sinhala, Clough, Sorata); Taraṇa: crossing, going over, passing, raft, float; "Etera vana, Etera vīmaṭa ivahal deya, Etera vīma" (Sinhala, Clough, Sorata); Kuḍi: = Kuṭi-puruṣa: householder, chief of a family or household; "Gehimiyā, Pavulak pradhānaya (Sinhala, Sorata); Kuṭi: house, abode, home, family, lineage, town, tenants (Tamil, DED 1655). See box on Tārakaṉ and column 52 for etymology of Kuḍi
Tārakaṉ	one helps in crossing (Tamil, MTL); Tārakam: that which serves to cross, receptacle, vehicle (Tamil, MTL); Tāra: carrying across, descent to a river (Sanskrit, CDIAL 5793); Tāraka: helmsman, float, raft (Sanskrit lexicons, CDIAL 5794); Tāram: rare and valuable commodities that usually come through sea or caravan trade (Tamil, Caṅkam diction, Puṟanāṉūṟu, 30: 15; Naṟṟiṇai, 135: 3; Maturaikkāñci, 697); Tārai: way, road, path, order of conduct, path of water, river (Tamil, DED 3170); Tāri: way, road, path (Tamil, DED 3170); Dāri: way, road, path (Kannada, Tulu, Telugu, DED 3170)
Villuva	pond, tank; see column 10
Kōṭṭai	fort, castle (Tamil, DED 2207a); fortress, fortified place, stronghold (Tamil usages); Kōṭṭa: fort, residence (Malayalam, DED 2207); see column 237

Tāra-kuḍi seems to be a caste or clan of ferrymen, boatmen or navigators, as Tara/ Tāra/ Tāraka in Sinhala means raft, float, road, crossing, passing over etc., and the suffix Kuḍi means chief of a family. Kuṭi in Tamil includes the meanings family and lineage.

The phrase may also mean a member of the family, clan or caste.

For a related term Tāri-kuḍi in Sinhala, citing a Sinhala inscription Sorata gives the meaning ferryman or boatman.

Tāraṇa is a related term in Sinhala, meaning the same as Tāra, but the term also means a shrub (see related place names).

Tārakaṉ in Tamil means one helps in crossing and the term could stand for a ferryman, boatman or navigator.

Both the Tamil and Sinhala terms correspond to Tāraka listed in Sanskrit lexicons meaning a helmsman, float or raft (CDIAL 5793). But relevant cognates Tārai and Tāri are seen in Dravidian too, meaning way, road or path of water (DED 3170). The root Tā is related to crossing as in the verb Tāvu (DED 3177), and is related to conduct near or bring as in the verb Tār in Kannada (DED 3098)

Tāram in Caṅkam Tamil usage means valuable trade items that come by sea or road.

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Tāra-kuḍi-villuva is a place in Munthal division of Puttalam district. The place is close to Mundal Lagoon

Tārakaṉ-kōṭṭai is in Mannar Town division of Mannar district.

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Some related place names:

Tārā-puram: Mannar Town, Mannar. Probably related to Tārakaṉ-kōṭṭai in the same locality

Tāra-pēriya: Beliatta, Hambantota. This is an inland place without rivers. Pēriya: probably Pēruva: part, division; Pirivu

Tāraṇa: Bingiriya, Kurunegala. In this case, Tāraṇa-vẹva; Tāraṇa: a shrub like Āḍātōḍā (Sinhala, Sorata); Webera corymbosa (Sinhala, Clough); note the place name, Taraṇa-gaha-vẹva

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Revised: Tuesday, 27 June 2017, 18:30

First published: Wednesday, 29 August 2007, 01:00