Know the Etymology: 134
Place Name of the Day: Thursday, 20 April 2017

Viyan-dūva, Valahan-duva, Dōva, Kappu-tū, Kē-tūvu

வியன்தூ₃வ, வலஹன்தூ₃வ, தோ₃வ, கப்புதூ, கேதூவு
Viyan-dūva, Valahan-duva, Dōva, Kappu-tū, Kē-tūvu

Viyan+dūva
Valahan+duva
Dōva
Kappu+tū
Kē+tūvu

The water-surrounded place of birds

The water-surrounded place of bears

The waterlogged place

The water-surrounded place of road-metal or of cotton plants/ silk cotton trees

The water-surrounded place of paddy fields or of screw pines

Dūva	island, any small spot of ground or bank surrounded by water (Sinhala, Clough); "Divayina" (Sinhala, Sorata); Dūpata: islet (Sinhala, Clough); Div, Divu, Divayina, Dīpa, Dīpaya, Dvīpa: island (Sinhala, Sorata, Clough); Dū, Duvu, Duvā, ḍū, ḍuvu, Dīfu, Tīmu, Jīva: island (Dhivehi/ Maldivian, DBF, EDMIN, Lōmāfānu Copperplates); 1. Dvīpa: land, island, peninsula, sandbank (Sanskrit, Rig Vedic, CDIAL 6691, Monier-Williams, root is traced to Dva+ap); Dīpa: island (Pali, CDIAL 6691); Dīva: island (Prakrit, CDIAL 6691); 2. Tīvu: island (Tamil, Caṅkam Diction, Puṟanāṉūṟu, 397: 21-22); Tippai: mound, elevated ground (Tamil, DED 3229); Tippa: hill, heap, mound, small island (Telugu, DED 3229); cognates in 12 Dravidian languages; Tuppe and Tube are cognates in Tulu and Maltese; Dimmi: an eminence, elevated spot (Kannada, DED 3239); Dimba: bank of a river (Kannada, DED 3239); Nīr-demma: island (Parji, DED 3239); Tivuru: (verb) to increase, abound, swell (Telugu, DED 3233); Timir: (verb) to grow (Tamil, DED 3233); Tumbu: (verb) be amassed (Kannada, DED 3331);
Duva	toponymic variation of Dūva (some Sinhala place names). See box on Dūva
Dōva	field or place between rising grounds, and into which water flows during rain (Sinhala, Clough); a water-logged place, seems to be related to Dūva; toponymic usage confined to Badulla district. See box on Dūva
Tū	a ground permanently or seasonally surrounded by water, usually of backwaters, floodwaters or marsh (usage noticed vey rarely in Eezham Tamil place names, especially in Jaffna); Dū: island (Dhivehi/ Maldivian, DBF); Dūva: island, any small spot of ground or bank surrounded by water (Sinhala, Clough). See boxes on Tūvu and Dūva
Tūvu	a ground permanently or seasonally surrounded by water, usually of backwaters, floodwaters or marsh (usage noticed very rarely in Eezham Tamil place names, especially in Jaffna); Duvu: island (Dhivehi/ Maldivian, DBF); Dūva: island, any small spot of ground or bank surrounded by water (Sinhala, Clough). See boxes on Tū and Dūva
Viya	also Viyā: bird in general (Sinhala, Clough); 1. Vīyal: to cause to fan (Malayalam, DED 5450); Vīyāla: fan (Malayalam, DED 5450); Vīcu: (verb) to flap as wings (Tamil, DED 5450); Vīsi: fly (Gondi, DED 5451); Vij: kite (Kota, DED 5389); 2. Viyat: sky (Sinhala, Clough); Viyana: spreading, expanding (Sinhala, Clough); Viyam: extensiveness, height (Tamil, DED 5404); Viyaṉ, Viyal: greatness, vastness, width, (Tamil, DED 5404); Vīya: high (Gondi, DED 5404); 3. Vayas: bird (Sanskrit, CDIAL 11304)
Valahā	also Valasā: bear (Sinhala, Clough); 1. Val: (adjective) wild, savage (Sinhala, Clough); strong, hard, forceful (Tamil, DED 5276); Vali, Valu: (verb) to be strong, hard (Tamil, DED 5276); Valavaṉ: capable man (Tamil, DED 5276); Valluka: (verb) to be able, strong (Malayalam, DED 5276); Balisu: (verb) to make strong (Kannada, DED 5276); Baluhu: strength (Kannada, DED 5276); 2. Bhallūka: bear (Sanskrit, CDIAL 9415, possible Astro-Asiatic origin cited); Bhalla: bear (Prakrit, CDIAL 9415); Mallu: bear (Sanskrit lexicons, CDIAL 9914); Mal, Mallal: strength (Tamil, DED 4729); Mal, Mallam: wrestling, boxing (Tamil, DED 4730, bear is known as a wrestler). See Mal 3 in column 156
Kappu	1. Probably from Kappi: gravel, grit, road-metal (Tamil, DED 1220); grit, bran (Sinhala, Glough); in the past, the people of Kappu-tū known as Tūvār were engaged in laying roads; 2. Probably from Kapu: cotton, silk cotton (Sinhala, Clough); Karpāsa: cotton (Sanskrit, CDIAL 2877, etymology traced to Austro-Asiatic); note another place name, Kapu-dūva; an adjacent place of Kappu-tū is Ilakaṭi, attesting to the presence of silk-cotton trees in the locality
Kē	the place Kē-tūvu is a patch of paddy fields by the side of a lagoon marsh; 1. Kē: = Keta: paddy field (Sinhala, Sorata); Kaitai: paddy field (Tamil, DED 1958); 2. Kē: = Ketakī: screw pine (Sinhala, Sorata); Kaital, Kaitai: screw pine (Tamil, DED 2026)

Dūva is a common word in Sinhala meaning an island, islet, sandbank or a ground surrounded by water. In some of the place names, Dūva is a small ground surrounded by water only seasonally.

The etymology of Dūva is traced to Dvīpa in Rig Vedic Sanskrit. However, a parallel term, Tīvu is found in Dravidian usage since very early times and see box on Dūva for possible alternatives on etymology.

The closest cognates of Dūva in Sinhala are Dū/ Duvu widely seen in the Maldivian island names and Tū/ Tūvu rarely noticed in the place names of Jaffna.

Dōva, meaning a waterlogged place, is noticed as a place name component only in Badulla district. This may probably be a variation of Dūva.

See boxes above for the meanings and etymology of the components, Viyan, Valaha, Kappu and Kē.

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Viyan-dūva is a place in Bentota division of Galle district.

Valahan-duva is in Akmeemana division of Galle district.

Dōva is a place in Ella division of Badulla district.

Kappu-tū, also called Kappu-tū-veḷi is a lagoon cum floodwater-surrounded place in Vadamaratchi Southwest division of Jaffna district.

Kē-tūvu is a water-surrounded place of paddy fields by the side of Uppāṟu lagoon, near Vātara-vattai in Valikamam East division of Jaffna district. Kappu-tū and Kē-tūvu are close-by places (Jaffna OIS).

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Some related place names:

Dūva as suffix:

Makuḷu-dūva: Kesbewa, Colombo

Dūva: Negombo, Gampaha

Talā-dūva: Negombo, Gampaha

Vē-vẹl-dūva: Kelaniya, Gampaha

Gōna-dūva: Kalutara, Kalutara

Nān-dūva: Kalutara, Kalutara. Nāna: bathing

Del-dūva: Kalutara, Kalutara

Kaju-dūva-vatta: Kalutara, Kalutara

Ẹla-dūva: Dodangoda, Kalutara

Kumba-dūva: Walallavita, Kalutara

Goraka-dūva: Walallavita, Kalutara. Goraka: Garcinia cambogia (Sinhala, Clough); Koṟukkāy, Koṭukkāy, Koṟukkāp-puḷi, Koṭukkāyp-puḷi: Garcinia cambogia (Tamil, MTL); from the curved and tipped shape of the fruits; Koṭukku (Tamil, DED 2064); Koḷukki: hook, clasp (Tamil, DED 2151)

Mā-dūva: Balapitiya, Galle

Vańda-dūva: Balapitiya, Galle. Vańda: barren, "His" (Sinhala, Sorata); Vandhya: barren, sterile (Sanskrit, CDIAL 11275)

Mahala-dūva: Balapitiya, Galle

Kaha-dūva: Elpitiya, Galle

Yahala-dūva: Baddegama, Galle. Yahala: Yala, Yāla?

Maḍol-dūva: Baddegama, Galle. Maḍol: a tree peculiar to the island, allied to the Goraka, Garcinia echinocarpa (Sinhala, Clough)

Paniyan-dūva: Ambalangoda, Galle

Baṭa-dūva: Ambalangoda, Galle; Akmeemana, Galle

Lev-dūva: Ambalangoda, Galle. Lev: Lēvāya

Del-dūva: Hikkaduwa, Galle

Diṁbul-dūva: Hikkaduwa, Galle

Gal-dūva: Hikkaduwa, Galle

Del-gaha-dūva: Hikkaduwa, Galle

Doḍan-dūva: Hikkaduwa, Galle

Labu-dūva: Bope-Poddala, Galle

Kaha-dūva-vatta: Bope-Poddala, Galle

Pinna-dūva: Akmeemana, Galle

Nuga-dūva: Akmeemana, Galle

Piṭi-dūva: Habaraduwa, Galle; Weligama, Matara

Tal-dūva: Habaraduwa, Galle; Dehiovita, Kegalle

Kapu-dūva: Thihagoda, Matara

Vẹva-haman-dūva: Matara Four Gravets, Matara

Vēra-dūva: Matara Four Gravets, Matara

Bańḍāra-dūva: Uhana, Ampara

Raň-dūva: Mahawilachchiya, Anuradhapura

Nāccā-dūva: Nachchaduwa, Anuradhapura

Yakinige-dūva: a sandbank off the coast of Ahaň-gama, Habaraduva, Galle. Yakini: female spirit, demi goddess or she-devil, "Yakṣiṇiya" (Sorata); Ge, Gē: case affix (Sorata)

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Duva as toponymic variation of Dūva:

Ambalan-duva: Panadura, Kalutara

Vādduva: Panadura, Kalutara

Para-duva: Kalutara, Kalutara; Akuressa, Matara

Levvan-duva: Mathugama, Kalutara

Dēd-duva: Bentota, Galle

Tun-duva: Bentota, Galle

Olagan-duva: Bentota, Galle

Mali-duva: Hikkaduwa, Galle; Akuressa, Matara. Mali 1: See Mal 3 in column 156 and related place names; Mali: hunter, "Vẹddā"; from Mala: forester, hunter (Sorata); Mal, Mallal: strength (Tamil, DED 4729); Mali 2: a very small species of parrot, "Kādamba-pakṣiyā," (Sorata); Mali 3: yard or platform to observe Pōya day rituals, "Pohō-maḷuva" (Sorata)

Milid-duva: Galle Four Gravets, Galle. Mili: a variation of Mali or Mili: dirty, polluted, "Kiliṭu" (Sorata)

Kaduru-duva: Akmeemana, Galle

Ima-duva: Imaduwa, Galle

Habarā-duva: Habaraduwa, Galle. Habara, Sabara: hunter, "Vẹddā" (Sinhala, Sorata); Sabara: a wild mountain tribe in the Deccan (Sanskrit, CDIAL 12296); Savara: an aboriginal tribe (Pali, Prakrit, CDIAL 12296)

Kok-mā-duva: Welipitiya, Matara

Kadduva: Malimbada, Matara

Ẹ-duva-Maduru-dūva: Matara Four Gravets, Matara

Kaḍavẹd-duva: Devinuwara, Matara

Ded-duvā-vala: Beliatta, Hambantota

Kuḍa-māduva: Homagama, Colombo

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Dūvē/ Duve as prefix:

Dūvē-goḍa: Beruwala, Kalutara

Dūvē-mōdara: Balapitiya, Galle

Duve-goḍa: Niyagama, Galle

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Dōva:

Aṁba-gas-dōva: Soranathota, Badulla; Uva Paranagama, Badulla

Mahā-dōva: Lunugala, Badulla

Piyarapan-dōva: Ella, Badulla

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Tū:

Karampaṉ-tū: a locality in Ampaṉ in the Vadamaratchi East, Jaffna. Karampaṉ: see column 95

Kārait-tū: a locality in Taṉaṅkiḷappu, Thenmaradchi. Kārai: a shrub

Kañcaṉ-tū: a locality in Kuṭattaṉai, Vadamaratchi East, Jaffna. Kañcaṉ: probably Kañcāṅ-kōrai: a grass, Ocimum album, Ocimum fastigiatum, Ocimum ciliare (Tamil, MTL)

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Valasā:

Valas-vẹva: Galewela, Matale; Galgamuwa, Kurunegala; Kobeigane, Kurunegala; Galnewa, Anuradhapura

Valas-gala: Dickwella, Matara. There is another Valas-gala near Yapahuwa. The monks of this place founded the Asgiriya Monastery in Kandy in the 14th century. As-giriya is a translation of Valas-gala

Valas-mulla: Walasmulla, Hambantota

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Valahā:

Valaha-piṭiya: Mahawewa, Puttalam

Valaha-vidda-vẹva: Horowpothana, Anuradhapura

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Revised: Wednesday, 20 April 2017, 19:18

First published: Thursday, 27 August 2009, 22:06