Know the Etymology: 133
Place Name of the Day: Monday, 23 October 2017

Accu-vēli, Kaṅku-vēli, Viḷai-vēli, Nel-vēlik-kuḷam

அச்சுவேலி, கங்குவேலி, விளைவேலி, நெல்வேலிக்குளம்
Accu-vēli, Kaṅku-vēli, Viḷai-vēli, Nel-vēlik-kuḷam

Accu+vēli
Kaṅku+vēli
Viḷai+vēli
Nel+vēli+kuḷam

The paddy field facilitated by ridges made to retain water; or the paddy field surrounded by a ridge

The paddy field of ridge-facilitated beds; or the paddy fields of the Māvali-kaṅkai River

The crop-growing/ grain-producing field

The tank of the paddy-growing/ paddy-producing field

Vēli1	fence, hedge, wall (Tamil, DED 5538; Kuṟuntokai, 18: 1); enclosure, limit, boundary, protection (Tamil, Kuṟuntokai, 76: 1; 345: 7; Akanāṉūṟu, 122: 21); cognates in 11 Dravidian languages; Vilaku, Vilaṅku: (verb) be separated (Tamil, DED 5423); Vilakku: (verb) to separate, prohibit, check, obstruct (Tamil, DED 5423); Vīlu: (verb) to be separated (Telugu, DED 5423); Vilaṅkal: lying athwart or across, hill (Tamil, DED 5423); Vilaṇki: hedge, fence (Tamil, DED 5423); Vēlai: sea, seashore, boundary (Tamil, Cilappatikāram, 6: 1; 6: 31, Pēyāḻvār 7; see ); Vẹlla: seashore (Sinhala, Clough); Vēlla: ridges in a paddy field (Sinhala Clough). See box on Vēli 2. Also see columns 100, 123 and 337.
Vēli2	a land measure, land (Tamil, MTL, Puṟanāṉūṟu, 391: 21; Cūḷāmaṇi, 1562; inscription, 1069 CE, SII, vii, 4); a land measure equal to 6. 74 acres (Tamil, MTL); around 5 acres (Tamil, Tañcāvūr usage, Winslow); from Vēli meaning fence, enclosure etc., see box on Vēli 1
Vēli3	paddy field (Tamil, MTL, Porunarāṟṟuppaṭai, 246-247); paddy field tract (Tamil, Naṟṟiṇai, 339: 10); paddy field name (Tamil, inscription, c. 1000 CE, TAS, ii, p. 173-207); Vel, Vela: paddy field (Sinhala, Clough); from Vēli meaning fence, enclosure etc., see box on Vēli 1 and column 100.
Vēli4	settlement in general, a term meaning village, "Ūr" (Tamil, MTL, Tivākaram, 5: 97, inscription, 954 CE, SII, xiii, 92); walled enclosure (Tamil, Piṅkalam, 4110); cattle pen (Tamil, Piṅkalam, 4: 241); from fence, enclosure etc., see box on Vēli 1
Accu	ridge in a field (Tamil, DED 49); Accuk-kaṭṭu: (verb) to form a ridge around a field; (noun) field with ridges, land divided into beds to admit and retain water for the cultivation of paddy (Tamil, DED 49, inscription, 1389 CE, SII, viii, 72); Accu-kaṭṭu-sēyu: to make a ridge along the boundary (Telugu, DED 49)
Kaṅku1	ridge to retain water in paddy fields (Tamil, DED 1085); limit or barrier (Tamil, Caṅkam diction, Puṟanāṉūṟu, 396: 25); ridge-edged land (Tamil, Tivākaram, 5: 220; Piṅkalam, 10: 230); dam or barrier of a water-body (Tamil, Oṭṭakkūttar, Kulōttuṅkaṉ Kōvai, 481); bank of a river (Tamil, Villi Pāratam, 45: 212); Kaňgu: = Vēlla: paddy field ridge (spoken Sinhala, Sorata)
Kaṅku2	Gaṅgā River (Tamil, Cuntarar Tēvāram, 7: 30: 9); Keṅkai: Māvali-kaṅkai River (Eezham Tamil, Trincomalee usage)
Viḷai	cultivable, crop-growing, grain-producing, productive (Tamil, DED 5437, Kuṟuntokai, 141: 1; 371: 2-3); (noun) land in general (Tamil, inscription, 1698 CE, TAS, v, p. 210-212); place name suffix (Tamil, Kaṉṉiyākumari district); cultivable land as in Viḷai-nilam, Viḷai-pūmi, Viḷai-vayal: (Tamil, inscriptions, 880 CE, SII, xii, 102; 1015 CE, SII, iii, 53; 1176, SII, xvii, 585); Viḷai: (verb) to be produced, to cause to grow, be ripen as grain; (noun) growth, ripening, produce, crop, yield (Tamil, DED 5437); cognates in 9 Dravidian languages; Piḷ: (verb) to burst open (Tamil, DED 4194); Pīḷ: embryo, tender ears of corn (Tamil, DED 4198); embryo of an ear of corn, ear of corn, young shoot of a crop (Tamil, Caṅkam diction, Akanāṉūṟu, 24: 6; 284: 3-4; Naṟṟiṇai, 251: 9); cognates in 15 Dravidian languages including Brahui
Nel	paddy, grain of paddy (Tamil, DED 3753, Kuṟuntokai, 53: 4); cognates in 7 Dravidian languages.
Kuḷam	tank, pond (Tamil, DED 1823). See column 18

Vēli meaning a paddy field in Tamil place names comes from the word basically meaning a fence, enclosure etc. In the usage meaning a paddy field, the word stands for the ridges that make a paddy-field grid or an enclosure around the paddy field.

Vēli in Tamil/ Dravidian and Vela in Sinhala are cognates in meaning a paddy field (see column 100). Note Vēlla in Sinhala meaning ridges in a paddy field.

The terms Vēlai meaning sea or seashore in Tamil and Vẹlla meaning seashore in Sinhala are also related to Vēli, coming from the dividing-line meaning.

See boxes on Vēli 1-4 on the other related meanings of the term Vēli.

The etymology of Vēli (DED 5538) corresponds to the Dravidian verbs Vilaku/ Vilaṅku meaning, be separated; Vilakku meaning to separate, obstruct etc., and Vīlu meaning to be separated (DED 5423)

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Vilaṅka/ Vilaṅku as verb meaning to obstruct:

"கைதை அம் படு சினை கடுந் தேர் விலங்க" (அகநானூறு, 210: 12)

"Kaitai am paṭu ciṉai kaṭun tēr vilaṅka" (Akanāṉūṟu, 210: 12)


"விலங்கு மலை" (குறுந்தொகை, 134: 7)

"Vilaṅku malai" (Kuṟuntokai, 134: 7)

The hill that is obstructing across


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Vēli meaning a fence, enclosure, limit, etc:

"வேரல் வேலி வேர்க் கோட் பலவு" (குறுந்தொகை, 18: 1)

"Vēral vēli vērk kōṭ palavu" (Kuṟuntokai, 18: 1)

The jack tree bearing fruits on its base, having a fence or hedge around it made of a small species of bamboo


"பெரு நீர் வேலி எம் சிறு நல் ஊரே" (குறுந்தொகை, 345: 7)

"Peru nīr vēli em ciṟu nal ūrē" (Kuṟuntokai, 345: 7)

The sea (great waters) is the boundary or fence of our good little village. [See box on Vēli 1 for Vēlai meaning sea or seashore]


Vēli meaning an enclosure of cultivation land:

"மூன்று மா நிலமும் வேலி அடைத்து நீர் இறைத்து" (Tamil inscription, 911 CE, SII, viii, 640)

"Mūṉṟu mā nilamum vēli aṭaittu nīr iṟaittu" (Tamil inscription, 911 CE, SII, viii, 640)

The three Mā measures of land, enclosed by Vēli and irrigated by water


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Vēli as a measure of paddy field land:

"வேலி ஆயிரம் விளைக நின் வயலே" (புறநானூறு, 391: 21)

"Vēli āyiram viḷaika niṉ vayalē" (Puṟanāṉūṟu, 391: 21)

Let your paddy fields produce a thousand measures per Vēli of land; or produce a thousand times per Vēli of land Vēli meaning enclosure of paddy field, measure of paddy field and the paddy field itself:


சாலி நெல்லின் சிறை கொள் வேலி ஆயிரம் விளையூட்டு ஆக (பொருநராற்றுப்படை, 246-247)

Cāli nelliṉ ciṟai koḷ vēli āyiram viḷaiyūṭṭu āka (Porunarāṟṟuppaṭai, 246-247)

Let the Vēli that bounds the Cāli kind of paddy crop (a superior paddy), produce a thousand measure or thousand times (here, Vēli is enclosure, measure of land as well as the paddy field that produces).


Vēli coming as name of paddy field:

"சிறுகல் வேலி இருபத்தைங்கலமாய் கொள்ளும் பாட்ட நெல்" (Tamil inscription, c. 1000 CE, TAS, ii, p. 173-207)

"Ciṟukal vēli irupattaiṅkalamāy koḷḷum pāṭṭa nel" (Tamil inscription, c. 1000 CE, TAS, ii, p. 173-207)

The 25 cubic measures of paddy taken as tax for the paddy field called Ciṟu-kal-vēli


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Various meanings of the term Vēli:

"ஊரும் அரணும் காவலும் நிலமும் மேவிய வயலும் வேலி ஆகும்" (பிங்கலம், 4110)

"Ūrum araṇum kāvalum nilamum mēviya vayalum vēli ākum" (Piṅkalam, 4110)

Village, fence, protection, land and a good paddy field are called Vēli


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Usage of the term Accu in the meaning of paddy-field ridge:

"கரம்பும் திரித்தி அச்சுக் கட்டாக்கி பயிற் செய்ய கடவராகவும்" (Tamil inscription, 1389 CE, SII, viii, 72)

"Karampum tiritti accuk kaṭṭākki payiṟ ceyya kaṭavarākavum" (Tamil inscription, 1389 CE, SII, viii, 72)

Let them develop the wasteland, prepare it into a ridge-dammed field and cultivate paddy


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Kaṅku as limit:

"எம்மோர் ஆக்கக் கங்குண்டே" (புறநானூறு, 396: 25)

"Emmōr ākkak kaṅkuṇṭē" (Puṟanāṉūṟu, 396: 25)

Is there a limit to our prosperity?


Kaṅku as ridge-sided land:

"கங்கு வரம்பு அருகே" (திவாகரம், 5: 220)

"Kaṅku varampu arukē" (Tivākaram, 5: 220)

Kaṅku is land by the side of a ridge


Kaṅku as dam or barrier of a water-body:

"எறி ஆழியை முன் கங்கே வகுத்த குலோத்துங்க சோழன்" (ஒட்டக்கூத்தர், குலோத்துங்கன் கோவை, 481)

"Eṟi āḻiyai muṉ kaṅkē vakutta kulōttuṅka cōḻaṉ" (Oṭṭakkūttar, Kulōttuṅkaṉ Kōvai, 481)

The Cōḻa king Kulōttuṅkaṉ, who set the waving sea dammed at the front


Kaṅku as bank of a river:

"அகல் வான் நதியின் கங்கில் பொறி விட்டது" (வில்லி பாரதம், 45: 212)

"Akal vāṉ natiyiṉ kaṅkil poṟi viṭṭatu" (Villi Pāratam, 45: 212)

The bank of the broad, big river breached


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Kaṅku meaning the river Gaṅgā:

"கங்கு ஆர்ந்த வார் சடைகள் உடையானை" (சுந்தரர் தேவாரம், 7: 30: 9)

"Kaṅku ārnta vār caṭaikaḷ uṭaiyāṉai" (Cuntarar Tēvāram, 7: 30: 9)

The one (God Siva) who has hair locks from which Kaṅku (the river Ganges) flows


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Viḷai as verb:

"மை படு சிலம்பின் ஐவனம் வித்தி அருவியின் விளைக்கும் நாடன்" (குறுந்தொகை, 371: 2-3)

"Mai paṭu cilampiṉ aivaṉam vitti aruviyiṉ viḷaikkum nāṭaṉ" (Kuṟuntokai, 371: 2-3)

The person of the land, where hill-paddy is sown on the dark, hillside and grown to produce grain by the waters of the hill-stream


Usage examples for Viḷai-nilam and Viḷai-vayal:

"வரம்பறுத்த விளை நிலமாய்"(Tamil inscription, 880 CE, SII, xii, 102)

"Varampaṟutta viḷai nilamāy" (Tamil inscription, 880 CE, SII, xii, 102)

As cultivable land prepared with ridges


"மன்னிய நெதி வளம் பெருக்க விளை வயலின் வளஞ் சுரக்க" (Tamil, inscription, 1176 CE, SII, xvii, 585)

"Maṉṉiya neti vaḷam perukka viḷai vayaliṉ vaḷañ curakka" (Tamil, inscription, 1176 CE, SII, xvii, 585)

As the perennial river increases prosperity and the crop-growing/ grain-producing field comes up with productivity

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Accu-vēli is a place in Valikamam East division of Jaffna district. The place has paddy fields on its eastern side.

Kaṅku-vēli is a village having a tank and extensive paddy fields in Moothoor division of Trincomalee district. The place is also located close to the river Māvali Kaṅkai. The place and its Siva temple are noted in a medieval literature called Tiruk Karaicaip Purāṇam.

Viḷai-vēli is a place in Nuṇāvil in Thenmaradchi division of Jaffna district (V. Almanac, 2013-14, p. 108).

Nel-vēlik-kuḷam is in Ōmantai in Vavuniya South Tamil division of Vavuniya district (Padawiya MS)

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Some related place names:

Vēli:

Nīr-vēli: Valikamam East, Jaffna. Nīr: water, watery

Kaṭṭai-vēli: Valikamam Southwest, Jaffna. Kaṭṭai: dam, bund or barrage

Caṇku-vēḷi: Valikamam South, Jaffna. Caṅku: probably meaning Sangha. The place is close to Kantarōṭai

Kai-vēli: Puthukkudiyiruppu, Mullaiththeevu. Kai: 1. May be related to the suffix usage of Kai, meaning a pond, see column 112; 2. as prefix usage may mean, small or a branch (Tamil, Piṅkalam, 10: 399); 3. a land received through an agreement or land given on trusteeship or land given to tenants (Tamil, Kaiccam: agreement; inscription, 861 CE, SII, xiv, 78; as in Kai-vacam, Kai-yuṟṟa, Kai-yēṟṟa, Kaik-koṇṭa: land accepted, inscriptions, 768 CE, SII, xiv, 27; as in Kai-yaṭai: document handing over land to the tenants, inscription, 1201, SII, xvii, 599); 4. land belonging to a soldier guild, Kāi: division of soldiers, soldiers providing security (Tamil, Piṅkalam, 10: 399, see column 451)

Kai-vēlik-kuḷam: Puthukkudiyiruppu, Mullaiththeevu. See Kai-vēli

Tiru-nel-vēli: Nallur, Jaffna. Probably coming from Tirunelvēli in Tamil Nadu. The place name is noted in Kailāyamālai, 158-163.

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Kaṅku:

Kaṅkaṉ-kuḷam: Venkalachcheddikulam, Vavuniya. Kaṅkaṉ: may be Kaṅku or may be the royal families that had the name Kaṅkaṉ

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Revised: Monday, 23 October 2017, 18:30

First published: Thursday, 20 August 2009, 13:19