Know the Etymology: 96
Place Name of the Day: Monday, 27 February 2017

Tuvarai-mōṭṭai, Maruk-kārai-mōṭṭai, Perukkaṭi-mōṭṭai, Karuṅkāli-mōṭṭai, Muracu-mōṭṭai

துவரைமோட்டை, மருக்காரைமோட்டை, பெருக்கடிமோட்டை, கருங்காலிமோட்டை
Tuvarai-mōṭṭai, Maruk-kārai-mōṭṭai, Perukkaṭi-mōṭṭai, Karuṅkāli-mōṭṭai, Muracu-mōṭṭai

Tuvarai+mōṭṭai
Maruk+kārai+moṭṭai
Perukku+aṭi+mōṭṭai
Karuṅkāli+mōṭṭai
Muracu+mōṭṭai

The natural pond in the locality of Tuvarai shrubs or trees

The natural pond in the locality of Marukkārai shrubs

The natural pond in the locality of a Perukku tree

The natural pond in the locality of Karuṅkāli trees

The natural pond in the locality of Muracu trees

Mōṭṭai	a natural pond, a small tank that was originally a natural pond (Eezham Tamil). See column 57
Tuvarai	a shrub or tree, commonly found in the forests of Vanni and known for its strong, straight and hard sticks (Eezham Tamil). Various plants, shrubs and trees are identified by the name Tuvarai in Tamil. The Tuvarai of Vanni may be one of them called Karun-tuvarai: Dalbergia latifolia (Tamil, Winslow); Īṭṭi, Tōtakatti: = Karun-tuvarai, Dalbergia latifolia (Tamil, MTL); Tuvar: (verb) to be red; (noun) coral, red colour, scarlet, red ochre (Tamil, DED 3284); Tuvari: salmon colour as of an ascetic's dress (Tamil, DED 3284)
Marukkārai	Maruk-kārai: a species of Kārai shrub (Tamil, MTL); = Matuk-kārai: 1. a species of common honey-thorn (Tamil, MTL citing Winslow); 2. Emitic Nut, Randia dumetorum (Tamil, MTL, DED 4716); Randia dumetorum: Kukurumān, Kukurumuvaň (Sinhala, Clough). See column on Kārai-tīvu
Perukku	also Perukka-maram: Baobab tree, Adansonia digitata (Eezham Tamil); the species of Africa origin was probably introduced to the Maṉṉār region through Arab contacts in historical times; Perukku: (verb) to cause to increase, make greater (Tamil, DED 4471); Perukkam: largeness, size (Malayalam, DED 4411); growing huge, large, abundant (Tamil, Piṅkalam, 7: 471); Peruppu: becoming large, being stout (Tamil, DED 4471); from Peru: great (Tamil, DED 4471, cognates in 18 Dravidian languages); the Baobab tree is also called Pārppārap-puḷi, Papparap-puḷi: (Tamil, MTL); from Papparavar meaning Africans and Papparam meaning Africa or a part of Africa
Karuṅkāli	Coromandel ebony of Mysore, Diospyros tupru (Tamil, DED 1282); from Karuṅ-kāli: literally meaning "the dark-stemmed" (Tamil, DED 1278a + 1479); Karu: black, dark (Tamil, DED 1278a); Kāl: leg, foot, base of tree (Tamil, DED 1479); Kaḷu-tiṁbiri: Diospyros melanoxylon (Sinhala, Clough)
Muracu	seems to be a variation of Puracu (P/ M change); Puracu: 1. a tree called Murukku, Butea frondosa; 2. a tree called Mutirai, East Indian satin-wood, Chloroxylon swietenia; 3. a tree called Pūvaracu, Portia tree (Tamil, MTL);

See column 57 on the meaning and etymology of Mōṭṭai in Eezham Tamil.

Tuvarai in Tamil means a variety of plants, shrubs and trees. But in Vanni usage of Eezham Tamil, Tuvarai means a shrub or tree that is commonly found in the forests and is useful to get durable, hard and strong sticks and poles (Tuvaraṅ-kampu).

The Tuvarai of Vanni may be the one listed as Karun-tuvarai, Īṭṭi or Tōtakatti in Tamil dictionaries and botanically identified as Dalbergia latifolia.

A pulse, commonly called Tuvarai in Tamil (Cytisus cajan), has got the name from its astringent (Tuvarppu, DED 3352) taste. But Karun-tuvarai (Dalbergia latifola) seems to have got the name from the scarlet colour (Tuvar, DED 3284) of its wood.

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Maruk-kārai is identified as one of the species of the thorny Kārai shrub, botanically called Webera tetranda/ Canthium parviflorum. The species Maruk-kārai is equated to Matuk-kārai and is botanically identified as Randia dumetorum (MTL, DED 4716). Emetic nut is the common English term for Randia dumetorum.

Resembling lemon in shape and colour, sweet smelling but nauseating, the fruit of Kārai is compared to matured toddy in Caṅkam Tamil literature.

"முட் கால் காரை முது பழன் ஏய்ப்பத்தெறிப்ப விளைந்த தீம் கந்தாரம்" (புறநானூறு, 258: 1)

"Muṭ kāl kārai mutu paḻaṉ ēyppat
Teṟippa viḷainta tīm kantāram" (Puṟanāṉūṟu, 258: 1)

Matured sweet wine comparable to the ripe fruit of the Kārai of projecting thorns

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In Eezham Tamil usage, Perukku or Perukka-maram means the Baobab tree. The tree is found especially in the Mannar region of the island. Belonging to Africa, the tree was probably introduced in historical times by Arabs who had flourishing trade with the emporium at Māntai in Mannar. A Baobab tree found at the Paḷḷi-muṉai mosque in Mannar is estimated to be 800 years old, by its girth.

Perukku/ Perukka-maram is Eezham Tamil nomenclature for the tree, corresponding to Perukkam meaning growing huge in Tamil and largeness in Malayalam (DED 4411). See box. In Tamil Nadu usage the tree is called Papparap-puḷi or Pārpārap-puḷi (MTL), comparing the tree with tamarind (Puḷi) and tracing the origins to Africa (Papparam).

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Karuṅ-kāli is the common Tamil word for ebony, coming from the black colour of the stem/ wood.

The prefix Muracu as in Muracu-mōṭṭai is not noticed in other place names. In all probability this seems to be a variation of Puracu, as P/ M or B/ M interchange is a linguistic possibility noticed in instances like Muruta/ Buruta (Lagerstroemia flos-reginæ), Eramudu/ Erabadu (Erythrina indica) etc.

According to MTL, Puracu in Tamil stands for Butea frondosa (Puṉa-murukku, Paracu), Chloroxylon swietenia (Mutirai) and the Portia tree (Pūvaracu). All of them are found in Vanni.

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Tuvarai-mōṭṭai is a natural pond-turned-small tank near Kaccilai-maṭu in Oddusuddan division of Mullaiththeevu district. It is known as Tuvara-mōṭṭaik-kuḷam and marked in the One Inch Sheet.

Marukkārai-mōṭṭai is in Oddusuddan division of Mullaiththeevu district

Perukkaṭi-mōṭṭai is in Nanaddan division of Mannar district

Karuṅkāli-mōṭṭai is found in Manthai West division of Mannar district and in Musali disvision of Mannar district

Murasu-mōṭṭai is in Kandavalai division of Kilinochchi district

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Some related place names:

Tuvarai:


Tuvaraṅ-karai: Karikkaṭṭumūlai South (Aruna Selladurai, p. 98)

Tuvaraṅ-kuḷam: Karikkaṭṭumūlai South; Mēlpaṟṟu East (Aruna Selladurai, p. 98)

Tuvara-nēri: Mēlpattu South (Aruna Selladurai p. 114)

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Marukkārai:

Marukkāram-paḻai: near Kaṉṉāṭṭi, Paṟaiyaṉālaṅkuḷam (One Inch Sheet); a village noted in British records (1819-1939) in Naṭucceṭṭikuḷam division of Vavuniya district (Aruna Selladurai). Paḻai: pond

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Perukku:


Perukkaṭik-kuḷam: a locality in Mannar Town, between Periyakaṭai and Paḷḷimuṉai; Mannar Town, Mannar

Perukku-vaṭṭan: Munthal, Puttalam. Vaṭṭaṉ: locality, surroundings

Perukkaṭik-kirāmam: a ward in Neṭuntīvu/ Delft Island, Jaffna

Perukkaṭi: a locality in Puṅkuṭitīvu Island, Kayts, Jaffna, (Balasundaram, p. 154). Aṭi: locality

Āṉaip-pāppaṉ: Musali, Mannar. Probably from another Tamil name for Baobab (Āṉai: comparison of the tree with elephant; Pāppaṉ: from Papparam: Africa; see box for the names Papparap-puḷi/ Pārpārap-puḷi for Baobab)

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Karuṅkāli:


Karuṅkālic-cōlai: Mahakumbukkadawala, Puttalam. Noted in official records as Karuṅgālicōlē/ Karungalichole. Cōlai: grove

Karuṅkālit-tāḻvu: Musali, Mannar. Tāḻvu: low ground

Karuṅkāli: a locality in Karainagar Island, Jaffna district

Karuṅkāliyaṭi: Koralaippattu, Batticaloa. Aṭi: locality

Karuṅkāliyaṭic-cēṉai: Koralaippattu, Batticaloa. Cēṉai: shifting cultivation field

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Notes:


Randia dumetorum:

The fruit, having sweet but nauseating smell, induces vomiting and thus cleans the bowls. One full fruit is given to eat for such purposes.

W.C. Ondaatje FLS, Colonial Surgeon of Ceylon, in a paper read in 1883 at a meeting of the Pharmaceutical Society, titled 'Remarks on Some Medicinal Plants of Ceylon' records: "The seeds of this tree (Randia dumetorum) are used by the natives of Ceylon and India as a reliable agent in producing emesis." (The American Journal of Pharmacy, Vol. 55, 1883; henriettesherbal.com)

The fruit contains Saponin that causes intoxication in fish.

It is a very safe fish poison and was traditionally used in catching fish in ponds. It doesn't affect the quality of the catch.

Nowadays its use is even recognized in aquaculture in catching fish without draining the tank.


Perukku:

The Baobab tree is peculiar to look at.

It can grow up to 25 metres and can live for thousands of years. Its hollow and huge trunk preserves rainwater. The trees are known as living reservoirs as an average tree can store roughly 5,000 litres of water. In the draught hit parts of Africa people draw water from this tree.

It remains leafless for 9 months and may look like a tree uprooted and put upside down.

Almost all parts of this tree are useful. The leaves and fruits make nutrition rich food.

The Baobab tree is also found in the Maldives Islands. Its spread there also is said to be an Arab / African legacy.

The Baobab is known as Foh in the Dhivehi or Maldivian language. In the past there were many specimens of the tree found in that country, but now only one survives.

However the tree is remembered in a few Maldivian island names like Fodh-dhoo, (The island of the Foh tree), Fodh-dhipparu (The reef of the island of the Foh tree) and Fodh-theyo-bodu-fushi (The big island of oil extracted from the Foh tree. The oil is said to be a remedy for Malaria).

Not many examples of the tree survive in the Mannar district today.

One well-known specimen, said to be eight hundred years old, is found near a mosque in Mannar.

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Revised: Monday, 27 February 2017, 21:10

First published: Monday, 23 June 2008, 00:06