Know the Etymology: 83
Place Name of the Day: Monday, 31 July 2017

Oṭṭaṉ-kuḷam, Oṭṭaṉ-kaṭṭuk-kuḷam, Oṭṭuk-kuḷam, Oṭṭaṟutta-kuḷam, Oṭṭu-kulama

ஒட்டன்குளம், ஒட்டன்கட்டுக்குளம், ஒட்டுக்குளம், ஒட்டறுத்தகுளம், ஒட்டு[க்]குலம
Oṭṭaṉ-kuḷam, Oṭṭaṉ-kaṭṭuk-kuḷam, Oṭṭuk-kuḷam, Oṭṭaṟutta-kuḷam, Oṭṭu-kulama

Oṭṭaṉ+kuḷam
Oṭṭaṉ+kaṭṭu+kuḷam
Oṭṭu+kuḷam
Oṭṭu+aṟutta+kuḷam
Oṭṭu+kulama

The tank built by Oṭṭar

The tank of the dam built by Oṭṭar

The tank built through contract (given to Oṭṭar); or the tank having an uncut mass in the middle

The tank excavated through contract (given to Oṭṭar); or the tank where an uncut mass was removed; or the tank that was caused by mining a mass

The tank built through contract (given to Oṭṭar); or the tank having an uncut mass in the middle

Oṭṭar	a community, caste or guild that moves from place to place and undertakes job assignments of excavating, building and repairing tanks, wells, canals etc., and assignments related to mining earth (Tamil, MTL, Winslow, inscriptions, SII, vii, 856); Maṇ-oṭṭar: men who build mud walls (Tamil, Winslow); Kal-oṭṭar: men who build stone walls (Tamil, Winslow); Oṭṭaṉ: member of the Oṭṭar community, the masculine term also stands for the identity of the community in general (Tamil, MTL, toponymic usage examples); Oṭṭacci: woman of the Oṭṭar community (Tamil, MTL); Oḍḍa: = Oṭṭaṉ (Kannada, cited by MTL); Oḍḍevāḍu: = Oṭṭaṉ (Telugu, cited by MTL); Uḍḍa: a caste of well diggers (Prakrit, CDIAL 2549); Oḍru: a caste that make mud walls (Sindhi, CDIAL 2549); Oḍ: a tribe that clear out water courses or build houses (Panjabi, CDIAL 2549); a caste who dig and carry earth and build mud houses (Gujarati, CDIAL 2549); Ōḍ: mason (Garhwali, CDIAL 2549); carpenter, name of a caste, (WPak.Kṭg, CDIAL, 2549); Etymology 1: related to construction work done by adhesion, by putting together earth, stone etc. (Tamil, DED 958); see Oṭṭu 1; Etymology 2: related to mass or heap of earth etc., and from the profession related to them (Tamil, DED 958, 965); see Oṭṭu 2; Etymology 3: related to pledge, undertaking, contract etc. (Tamil, DED 959); see Oṭṭu 3; Etymology 4: related to a tribal identity or to a geographical identity; Ōḍra: a tribe of Śudras (Sanskrit, Manusmṛti, CDIAL 2549); Oḍḍa: the land of Utkala, Orissā/ Odissā (Prakrit, CDIAL 2549); Oṟa: an aborigina inhabitant of Orissa (Oriya, CDIAL; 2549)
Oṭṭu1	related to construction by adhesion or putting together; (verb) to stick; (noun) piece stuck or fastened on (Tamil, DED 958); (verb) to become joined, to adhere as mud etc., to become a mass or heap, put together, pile up; (noun) heap, pile (Kannada, DED 958); glue, union (Malayalam, DED 958); Oṭṭisu: (verb) to join, heap, cause to heap or pile up (Kannada, DED 958); Oṭṭike: heaping (Kannada, DED 958); Oḍḍu: (verb) to heap up; (noun) a mass, heap (Kannada, DED 958); Oṭṭuni: (verb) to heap, pile up (Tulu, DED 958); Oṭṭam: what holds together, stops a leak (Malayalam, DED 958); cognates in 8 Dravidian languages
Oṭṭu2	related to mass, heap of earth etc.; Oṭṭam: a conical mass left uncut by tank-diggers to show the depth excavated (Tamil, Winslow); Oḍ: slope of a hill (Kota, DED 965); Oḍḍu: bank, causeway (Kannada, DED 965); bank, shore (Telugu, DED 965); Oṇḍi: bank, shore (Kannada, DED 965); Oḍu: raised bank of river (Gondi, DED 965); bank of river (Konda, Kuwi, DED 965); Oṭṭā: shore (Kurux, DED 965); cognates in 7 Dravidian languages
Oṭṭu3	(verb) to bind oneself to do a thing, wager, stake; (noun) oath, solemn undertaking (Tamil, DED 959, inscriptions, SII, xii, 76); (verb) to make a vow; (noun) solemn promise (Kannada, DED 959); an oath (Telugu, DED 959); Oṭṭam: a wager, stake (Tamil, Malayalam, DED 959); cognates in 7 Dravidian languages; Hoḍḍa: wager (Sanskrit, Prakrit, etymology traced to Dravidian, CDIAL 14175); Oṭṭuva: wager, bet, stake (Sinhala, Clough); Oṭṭam, Oḍḍi, Oḍa: = Oṭṭuva (Sinhala, Sorata)
Aṟutta	what was cut; in some usage examples found used to mean rock-cut or rock-carved (Tamil, Brahmi inscription, ETE 61); Aṟuttu: (verb) in some usage examples found used in the meaning of breaking or mining stone to dig a well or pond (Tamil, Puṟanāṉūṟu, 331: 1); from Aru: (verb) to cut, break off (Tamil, DED 315)
Kaṭṭu	dam (Tamil, DED 1147). See column 30
Kuḷam	tank, pond (Tamil, DED 1828). See column 18
Kulama	tank, pond (Sinhala, see column 65)

Oṭṭar was a community, caste or guild that was engaged in excavating, building and renovating tanks, wells, canal etc., and was also engaged in mining earth.

The community doesn't exist today in the island, but its identity survives in some tank names and place names.

Cognates of the term Oṭṭar, in meanings related to the said professional identity, could be seen in both Dravidian and Indo-Aryan (see box). Oṭṭar seem to be members of a guild-caste, moving from place to place and operating widely in the region of South Asia. The origins of such professional bodies related to building tanks may date back early civilizations.

The etymological possibilities of the term Oṭṭar are listed in the boxes.

Reminding the profession and identity of Oṭṭar, a community called Kaṟ-kotti (literally meaning stone diggers), specialized in digging and lining wells, was surviving until recent times in Jaffna, at a place called Caracālai, near the Vēmpirāy limestone quarry.

The term Oṭṭu seems to have been used in Eezham Tamil to mean a mass of earth or rock. Note the word Oṭṭam in Tamil meaning an uncut conical mass usually left in the middle of an excavated tank to show the amount of work and probably to claim wages. Oṭṭu coming in Eezham Tamil place names may or may not be related to Oṭṭar

* * *

Oṭṭar as a community undertaking tank work:

"இவ்வூர் ஏரி பெரிய மடை உடைப்பு அடைத்த ஒட்டர்க்கு" (Tamil inscription, 1418 CE, SII, vii, 856)

"Ivvūr ēri periya maṭai uṭaippu aṭaitta oṭṭarkku" (Tamil inscription, 1418 CE, SII, vii, 856)

To the Oṭṭar who patched (repaired) the breakage or leakage in the main sluice of the reservoir of this village


* * *

Oṭṭu meaning undertaking:

"இவ்வற மூரோங் காப்போமாக ஒட்டினோம்" (Tamil inscription, 745 CE, TAMIZ, 1970, p. 122)

"Ivvaṟa mūrōṅ kāppōmāka oṭṭiṉōm" (Tamil inscription, 745 CE, TAMIZ, 1970, p. 122)

We, the villagers/ assembly of the village, undertake that we would protect this charity


Oṭṭu meaning agreement:

"ஒட்டோலை இட்டுக் கொடுத்த பரிசாவது" (Tamil inscription, 987 CE, SII, xiii, 76)

"Oṭṭōlai iṭṭuk koṭutta paricāvatu" (Tamil inscription, 987 CE, SII, xiii, 76)

These are the details of the agreement document signed and given


* * *

Usage of the term Aṟuttu in the meaning of digging or mining:

"கல் அறுத்து இயற்றிய வல் உவர்க் கூவல்" (புறநானூறு, 331: 1)

"Kal aṟuttu iyaṟṟiya val uvark kūval" (Puṟanāṉūṟu, 331: 1)

The hard-yielding, brackish water pond that was excavated by breaking stone

* * *

Oṭṭaṉ-kuḷam comes as a place name in Manthai East division of Mullaiththeevu district and in Pāṇṭiruppu in Kalmunai division of Amparai district (Kalmunai OIS)

Oṭṭaṉ-kaṭṭuk-kuḷam comes in Puthukkudiyiruppu division of Mullaiththeevu district.

Oṭṭuk-kuḷam is located near Verukal in Koralaippattu North division of Batticaloa district (Kathiraveli OIS). The tank has an uncut mass in the middle

Oṭṭaṟutta-kuḷam is in Manthai East division of Mullaiththeevu district.

Oṭṭu-kulama is in Rasnayakapura division of Kurunegala district. The place has a tank with an uncut mass in the middle.

* * *

Some related place names:

Oṭṭaṉ:

Oṭṭaṉ-paḷḷam-kuḷam: Paḻai, Paccilaippaḷḷi, Kilinochchi (Elephant Pass OIS). Probably a ditch caused by Oṭṭar mining earth that became a pond

* * *

Oṭṭu:

Oṭṭu-maṭu: near Vākarai, Koralaippattu, Batticaloa

Oṭṭup-pēli: near Keṟpēli, Thenmaradchi, Jaffna

Oṭṭu-veḷi: Eḻutumaṭṭuuvāḷ, Thenmaradchi, Jaffna (Point Pedro OIS). Oṭṭu probably means a mining area

Oṭṭakap-pulam: Valikamam North, Jaffna. Probably from mining

Oṭṭu-cuṭṭāṉ: Oddusuddan, Mullaiththeevu. The place has a stone-mining quarry mound

* * *

Aṟu:

Malaiyaṟuttāṉ-kaṭṭai Aṭampaṉ: Nanaddan, Mannar. Malai+aṟuttāṉ+kaṭṭai is the place name. Aṭampaṉ is the larger place in which the former is located

* * *

Notes on Oṭṭar: "Oṭṭar are Telugu speakers. Their clan deity is Poṅkiyāttā. They move from place to place, accepting work assignments. They are also water diviners. They divine it by feet, by standing on earth. Poer are people of the Oṭṭar caste. The myth goes that it comes from the Poy (lie) they said" (Dalits and the Arts as an Instrument of Repression, Gauthama Siddharthan, 2009). [Poer: seems to have come from digging; Poy: (verb) to be hollowed; Po: (verb) to make a hole; Poykai: pond, tank (Tamil, DED 4452, 4533); the deity name Poṅki-āttā probably from, Poṅgy: (water) springs forth magically (Kota, DED 4469); related to Poṅku in Tamil (DED 4469); or probably related to Boṅga meaning hole (DED 4452); or probably from Boṅkā meaning deity in general in tribal languages of Orissa; Āttā: mother, DED 358]

* * *


Revised: Thursday, 31 July 2017, 18:30

First published: Thursday, 06 March 2008, 23:51