Know the Etymology: 98
Place Name of the Day: Saturday, 15 July 2017

Nalla-taṇṇīr-kiṇaṟṟaṭi, Nellik-kiṇaṟṟaṭi, Āḻak-kiṇaṟṟaṭi, Maṇiyāṟaṉ-kiṇaṟṟaṭi

நல்லதண்ணீர்க்கிணற்றடி, நெல்லிக்கிணற்றடி, ஆழக்கிணற்றடி, மணியாறன்கிணற்றடி
Nalla-taṇṇīr-kiṇaṟṟaṭi, Nellik-kiṇaṟṟaṭi, Āḻak-kiṇaṟṟaṭi, Maṇiyāṟaṉ-kiṇaṟṟaṭi

Nalla+taṇṇīr+kiṇaṟu+aṭi
Nelli+kiṇaṟu+aṭi
Āḻam+kiṇaṟu+aṭi
Maṇiyakāraṉ+kiṇaṟu+aṭi

The place of the (saline-free) good-water well

The place of the well sided by Nelli tree

The place of the deep well

The place of the well (owned or built by) the temple trustee or village headman

Kiṇaṟu	well (Tamil, DED 1998, Puṟanāṉūṟu, 132: 3; Perumpāṇāṟṟuppaṭai, 97-98); Kiṇṭu: (verb) to dig, dig up, burrow in (Tamil, DED 1542, Puṟanāṉūṟu, 168: 2-3); Kīṇṭa: (verb) scooped out (Tamil, Campantar Tēvāram, 1: 42: 9); Kīḻ: place below, underneath (Tamil, DED 1619); Kiḷai: (verb) to dig up (Tamil, DED 1588); Kiḷḷu: to dig out, scoop (Tamil, DED 1588); Kiḷaṟu: to dig up (Tamil, DED 1588); Kēṇi meaning a pond-well and the verb Keṇṭu meaning to dig are also related to Kiṇaṟu. See column 77 on Kēṇi, also see column 379 on Koṭṭuk-kiṇaṟu
Aṭi	locality, place, neighbourhood, surroundings, (Tamil, related to DED 72). See column 56
Nalla	good, fine, excellent, (Tamil, DED 3610; Nal, Naṉ, Naṟ are related forms); Nalla-taṇṇīr: saline-free, potable water (Eezham Tamil usage especially in Jaffna). See column 50
Taṇṇīr	cold water, water (Tamil, DED 3045). See column 41
Nelli	a tree, emblic myrobalan. Phyllanthus emblica (Tamil, DED 3755, Kuṟuntokai, 201: 3-4; cognates in 12 Dravidian languages); the same tree as in Tamil, Phyllanthus emblica (Sinhala, Clough). See column 374
Āḻam	(noun) depth (Tamil, DED 396); Āḻ: (verb) to sink, be deep (Tamil, DED 396); Āḻam+ kiṇaṟu > Āḻakkiṇaṟu
Maṇiyāṟan	from Maṇikāran, Maṇiyakāraṉ, Maṇiyakkāraṉ: village headman, temple superintendent (Tamil, MTL); Maṇiyakāraṉ is the commonly heard standard form in Eezham Tamil and it is mostly used to mean a hereditary temple superintendent or trustee (Nacciṉārkkinyar attests to the form Maṇiyakāraṉ in the commentary to Tolkāppiyam, Eḻuttu, verse 323); Maṇiyam: position of village headman, position of managing a temple etc. (Tamil, MTL); cognates in Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu are noted, usage examples in Tamil are of the Nayākka times and probable etymology is traced to Mānya (MTL); Māṉiyakkāraṉ: holder of a Māṉiyam land or of any hereditary right or privilege in a village (Tamil, MTL); Māṉiyam: grant of revenue of a certain extent of land (Tamil, MTL); Mānyam: tax free land (Tamil inscription, 1301 CE, Epigraphia Carnatica, ix, Nl. 38); etymology uncertain.

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Kiṇaṟu is a common word in Tamil, meaning a well, usually a constructed one lined with stone, brick, mortar, terracotta etc. The usage of the term is seen since Caṅkam times.

The term, listed as Dravidian, is related to the verbs, Kiṇṭu, Kīṇṭu, Keṇṭu, Kiḷḷu. Kiḷaṟu etc., to the term Kīḻ meaning underneath, and to another term, Kēṇi, meaning a large well or constructed pond of underground water.

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Kiṇaṟu meaning a well:

"பாழ் ஊர்க் கிணற்றின் தூர்க என் செவியே" (புறநானூறு, 132: 3)

"Pāḻ ūrk kiṇaṟṟiṉ tūrka eṉ ceviyē" (Puṟanāṉūṟu, 132: 3)

Let my ears be filled up like the wells of a ruined village [for the poet's failure of not hearing the fame of his patron before]

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The phrase Nalla-taṇṇīr, in the context of a well, means saline-free potable water. The phrase is often shortened as Nalla-taṇṇi.

The tree Nelli is preferred to be seen by the side of a well, as it is said that its roots would sweeten the water.

Maṇiyakāraṉ is a term of relatively later usage in Tamil, probably coming in the Nayakka times.

A public well of potable water is a readily recognized location marker, especially in areas of water scarcity.

Kiṇaṟṟaṭi (Kiṇaṟu+aṭi) is the standard written form. It usually becomes Kiṇattaṭi in spoken Tamil.

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Nalla-taṇṇīr-kiṇaṟṟaṭi is a locality in Vaṇṇārpaṇṇai West in Jaffna City of Jaffna district (V. Almanac, 2013-14, p. 100).

Nellik-kiṇaṟṟaṭi is a locality in Maṉṉaṉ-kuṟicci of Mirucuvil in Thenmaradchi division of Jaffna district.

Āḻak-kiṇaṟṟaṭi is a locality in Polikaṇṭi in Vadamaradchi Northeast division of Jaffna district (Balasundaram, p. 173).

Maṇiyāṟan-kiṇaṟṟaṭi is a locality in Maṇṭaitīvu Island of Kayts division of Jaffna district.

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Some related place names:

Kurukkaḷ-kiṇaṟṟaṭi: Tellippaḻai, Valikamam North, Jaffna (V. Almanac, 2013-14, p. 101)

Periya-kiṇaṟṟaṭi: Aḷaveṭṭi, Valikamam North, Jaffna (Balasundaram, p. 189)

Uṭaiyā-kiṇaṟṟaṭi: Aḷaveṭṭi, Valikamam North, Jaffna (Balasundaram, p. 189)

Teṉṉā-kiṇaṟṟaṭi: Aḷaveṭṭi, Valikamam North, Jaffna (Balasundaram, p. 189)

Vaṇṇāṉ-kiṇaṟṟaṭi: Mātakal, Valikamam Southwest, Jaffna (Mātakal Māṉmiyam, 2015, p. 14)

Appākkuṭṭi-kiṇaṟṟaṭi: Kaṉakarāyaṉkuḷam, (Mankulam MS)

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Maṇiyāṟaṉ:

Maṇiyāṟaṉ-kuḷam: Maḍukańda, (Vavuniya OIS)

Maṇiyar-kuḷam: Paracaṅ-kuḷam, (Vavuniya OIS)

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Revised: Saturday, 15 July 2017, 18:30

First published: Friday, 27 June 2008, 20:43