Know the Etymology: 158
Place Name of the Day: Sunday, 19 September 2010

Polgolla

பொல்கொல்ல
Polgolla

Pol+golla

The coconut-palm grove

Pol

Matured coconut, coconut palm, also a kind of grass Paspalum kora (Sinhala); Pol-gaha: Coconut palm, Cocos nucifera (Sinhala); Pol-amu: A kind of grass or millet, Paspalum scrobiculatum (Sinhala); Pul: Grass (Tamil); Grass family of plants such as coconut palm, palmyra palm, arecanut palm, banana, bamboo, sugar cane etc (Old Tamil, Dravidian Etymological Dictionary 4300); All plants that are soft inside the trunk (Tholkaappiyam, oldest available Tamil grammar)

Golla

Grove (Sinhala), also means party, relations (Sinhala); Gollewa: Equivalent to Golla (Usage found especially in the place names of Anuradhapura district); Kollai: Forest, cultivation land in cleared forest (Changkam Tamil Diction); grove, enclosed garden, backyard, backyard-garden, cultivation field of certain crops (Tamil, Madras Tamil Lexicon); Note etymological links Kuzhu (assembly DED 1821) > Kooddam (assembly, DED 1882, 1885) > Koodal: Grove (Tamil) and Choozh (assemble, surround, DED 2715) > Choozhal (environment, surroundings) > Chuttam (relations, DED 2715) > Choalai: Grove (Tamil, DED 2891). Also note Kaa: Forest, pleasure grove, garden; Kaal: forest (Tamil, Choodaama'ni Lexicon, Dravidian Etymological Dictionary 1418); Kæla Multitude (Sinhala); Kæle: Wood, jungle (Sinhala). The last two seem to be a variation of Golla.

Golla is a popular component of Sinhala place names, especially in the Kurunegala, Matale, Kandy, Badulla and Nuwara Eliya districts. Gollewa is a variation found in the Anuradhapura district.

In etymology and in meaning Golla corresponds to Kollai in Tamil.

Golla in Sinhala means a grove of cultivated or wild trees.

In addition, in the usage of Sinhala place names the term also some times means a field of cultivated plants such as betel or a stretch dominated by the dense growth of a wild plant. See the examples of Sinhala place names given below to find that cluster of all kinds of trees and plants are covered by the name Golla.

Kæla and Kælé seem to be variants of Golla in the Sinhala place names. Kæla means multitude, wood, jungle, etc. When meaning wood or jungle, the word is written as Kælé. A large number of Sinhala place names have the component Kælé that corresponds to Golla in meaning. Kælé is normally written in English as Kele.

Kollai in old Tamil, especially in the usage found in Changkam Tamil literature, means a forest as well as a non-irrigated cultivation land in the forest and hilly tracts. (Ku’runthokai 141: 3-4; Natti’nai 209: 1, 266: 1; Porunaraattuppadai: 117)

In later Tamil usage, Kollai means a grove, enclosed garden, backyard-garden/grove and hence the backyard, and the cultivation field of certain crops like ginger and turmeric.

In contemporary Tamil usage, both in Tamil Nadu and in Eezham Tamil, even though Kollai is often used to mean backyard garden or backyard, it is rarely used to mean a grove except in the case of mango groves and also rarely comes as a place name component.

Yet there are few examples of tribal villages bearing the name Kollai in Andhra, examples such as Maang-kollai (mango grove) in Mayilaappoor, Chennai and A’la-kollai (muddy grove or field) in A’laveddi, Jaffna.

Variations such as Thoalai and Oalai are also found in some cases of Eezham Tamil place names in the Jaffna Peninsula.

Instead of Kollai, the Eezham Tamil usage largely preferred a term Choalai for a grove. Note the example Mora-golla (Kurunegala district) in Sinhala and Nuraich-choalai in Eezham Tamil (Puththa’lam district), both meaning the grove of Nephelium longanum.

Another term Koodal is also used for a grove or to indicate the density of the presence of a plant in Eezham Tamil. Examples: Pu’liyang-koodal (tamarind grove), Panang-koodal (palmyra grove), Mayilang-koodal (the thicket of Bauhiniya racemosa, Payirik-koodal (the dense presence of Payiri, a green vegetable).

All the terms, Kollai, Golla, Kæla, Kælé, Koodal and Choalai are of Dravidian etymology, having K /C and L / D interchange (see the table above).

* * *

Several hundreds of Sinhala place names have the component Golla in them. The following statistics of its occurrence gathered from the official list of large village names (GS divisions) may provide an idea of the distribution pattern of the component: Kurunegala: 47, Matale: 36, Kandy: 34, Badulla: 29, Nuwara Eliya: 14, Gampaha: 9, Ampaa’rai: 9, Moneragala: 7, Anuradhapura: 5, Kegalle: 3, Colombo: 2, Puththa’lam 2, Polonnaruwa: I, Ka’lutara: 1, Batticaloa: 1.

The following is the district-wise breakdown of the instances of large village names having the component Kæle (normally written in English as Kele):

Nuwara Eliya: 10, Puththa’lam: 10, Kandy: 9, Kurunegala: 8, Ampaa’rai: 6, Anuradhapura: 6, Gampaha: 5, Ka’lutara: 4, Badulla: 3, Matara: 2, Kegalle: 1, Polannaruwa: 1, Colombo: 1.

The component Gollewa is found in the names of nearly 20 villages of the official list for Anuradhapura district and in one name of a village in the Matale district.

* * *

The prefix Pol of the place name Pol-golla is another popular word in Sinhala, meaning coconut or coconut palm. There are many Pol-related phrases in Sinhala vocabulary because of the importance of the coconut palm in the life and culture of the people. But Pol and some Pol-related words in Sinhala also mean some varieties of grasses.

Failing in tracing the etymology of Pol, many academics thought that it is an Austro-Asiatic word of the aborigines. But a very obvious cognate could be found in the Tamil word Pul, which is of Dravidian etymology.

Even though Pul means only grass in contemporary Tamil, in old Tamil usage it meant all plants of the grass family, such as the coconut palm, palmyra palm, arecanut palm, bamboo, banana, sugar cane etc (Dravidian Etymological Dictionary 4300).

While classifying plants into two, the oldest Tamil grammar Tholkaappiyam says that all plants that are relatively harder outside and softer inside the trunk are Pul, and all plants that are harder inside and softer outside are Maram.

“Pu’rak-kaazhanavea pul enappadumea. Akak-kaazhanavea maran enappadumea.” (Tholkaappiyam, Poru’lathikaaram, Marapiyal: 86-87). Also see discussions in the column Eezham / E’lu / He’la.

* * *

Both the terms Pol and Golla of the place name Pol-golla are good examples to understand how obsolete usages of old Tamil / Dravidian could be found surviving in the Sinhala place names.

Pol-golla as a place name could be found in many places of the island. A well known one is in the Pathadumbara division of Kandy district, where there is a dam across the Mahaweli River, and where the Open University is located. Another large village called Pol-golla is located in the Ibbagamuwa division of Kurunegala district.


Some Related Place Names:

Golla:

Amba-golla: The mango grove, Moneragala, Kandy dts.

Kithul-golla: The grove of kithul palm, Caryota urens, Kurunegala dt.

Kumbuk-golla: The grove of Kumbuk,Terminalia arjuna trees, Matale, Ampaa’rai dts.

Naa-golla: The grove of Naa, Ironwood trees, Matale dt.

Dodam-golla: The orange grove, Kandy, Badulla, Moneragala dts.

Bulath-golla: The betel-leaf garden, Kandy dt.

Mora-golla: The grove of Mora, Nephelium longanum trees, Matale, Nuwara Eliya, Kurunegala, Badulla dts.

Kurundu-golla: The cinnamon grove, Badulla dt.

Arama’naa-golla: The grove of Arama’naa, Cassia siamea trees, Kalutara dt.

Eeriya-golla: The grove of Eeriya, Myristica iriya trees, Matale, Kurunegala, Kegalle dts.

A’lu-golla: The grove of Artocarpus nobilis, wild breadfruit, Gampaha, Matale, Badulla dts.

Kon-golla: The grove of Kon, Schleichera trijuga, Ceylon Oak trees, Kurunegala, Moneragala dts.

Nika-golla: The grove of Nika trees of the species of Vitex, Matale, Kurunegala dts.

Pa’lu-golla: The grove of Pa’lu, Mimosops hexandra trees, Kandy dt.

Hora-golla: The grove of Hora, Dipterocarpus zeylanicus, a large timber tree, Gampaha, Matale, Puththa’lam dts.

Pinna-golla: The thicket of Pinna, a plant, Kandy, Badulla dt.

Kænda-golla: The thicket of Kænda, Macaranga tomentosa, a plant, Gampaha, Matale, Nuwara Eliya, Kurunegala dts.

Nedun-golla: The large grove. This seems to be a recently Sinhalicised name, Dombe, Gampaha dt.

Pan-golla-mada: The muddy thicket having dense growth of Pan grass, Kandy dt.

Bakmee-golla: The grove of Bakmee, Sarcocephalus cordatus trees, Kurunegala dt.

Karanda-golla: The thicket of Karanda plant, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Kurunegala, Badulla dts.

Dun-golla: The grove of Dun-gaha, Doona zeylonica, a large timber tree, Kandy dt.

Walpala-golla: The grove of Wal-pa’lol, Bignonia indica trees, Kandy dt.

Weralu-golla: The grove of Weralu, Elæocarpus serratus trees, Kandy dt.

Damba-golla: The grove of Damba, Rose Apple, Jambosa vulgaris trees, Matale, Nuwara Eliya, Badulla dts.

Mee-golla: The grove of Mee, bassia longifolia, trees, Matale dt.

Kos-golla: The grove of breadfruit trees, Matale, Nuwara Eliya, Kurunegala, Badulla, Batticaloa dts.

Del-golla: The grove of Del, wild breadfruit trees, Artocarpus nobilis, Matale, Kurunegala dts.

Imbul-golla: The grove of silk-cotton trees, Bombax heptaphyllum, Matale dt.

Naran-golla: The grove or orchard of Narang, mandarin orange, citrus nobilis, Matale dt.

Nuga-golla: The grove of Nuga, Ficus altissima trees, Matale dt.

Hal-golla: The grove of Hal trees, Nuwara Eliya dt.

Una-golla: The grove of U’na, bamboo trees, Nuwara Eliya, Kurunegala, Badulla dts.

Gona-golla: The grove of Gonna, Diospyros insignis trees, Ampaa’rai dt.

Thimbiri-golla: The grove of Timbiri, Diospyros embryopteris trees, Ampaa’rai dt.

Bo-golla-gama: The village of the grove of Bo, the fig trees, Kurunegala dt.

Kaha-golla: The turmeric field or the grove of a small tree Bixa ororellana, Kurunegala, Badulla, Moneragala dts.

We-golla: The thicket of rattan, cane, Kurunegala dt.

Demata-golla: The thicket of Demata shrub, Gmelina asiatica, Kurunagala dt.

Ne’lu-golla-kada: The surroundings of the grove of Ne’lu a tree abundant in the jungles of Ilangkai. The name is common to the genus of Strobilanthes of which S.viscosus is peculiar to the island, Anuradhapura dt.

Dehi-golla: The lemon orchard, Badulla dt.

Attana-golla: The thicket of Attana, thorn apple, a medicinal plant, Datura fastuosæ, Badulla dt.

Sapu-golla: The grove of Sapu, the Champaka / Che’npaka tree of a very fragrant flower, Michelia champaca, Badulla dt.

Ka’lu-golla-yaaya: The expanse of the grove of Ka’lu trees. Several species of the dark variety of trees have the prefix Ka’lu, Moneragala dt.

Liyan-golla: The grove of Liyan, Homalium zeylanicum trees, Moneragala dt.

Dool-golla: The thicket of Dool, a fibrous plant, Anodendron paniculatum, Badulla dt.

Hin-naran-golla: The orchard of Heen-Naarang, a small variety of mandarin orange, Citrus nobilis, Badulla dt.), Wal-pala-golla (the grove of wild fruits, Kandy dt.

Bala-golla: The grove of Bala, Nothopegia colebrookiana trees, Badulla dt.

Pala-golla: The fruit orchard, Nuwara Eliya, Kurunegala dts.

Maranda-golla: The grove of Maranda, Euginia zeylonica trees, Kurunegala dt.

Kekuna-golla: The stretch of Keku, Bocagea coriacea plant, Kurunegala dt.

Welan-golla: The grove in the paddy field, Kurunegala dt.

Dalu-golla: The grove of Daluk, Euphorbia antoquorum trees, Kurunegala dt.

Wa-golla-kada: The surroundings of the grove od Waa, Cassia siamea trees, Anuradhapura dt.

Illa-golla: The thicket of Illa, Callicarpa lanata plants, Nuwara Eliya dt.

Katu-golla: The grove of thorny trees or bushes, Nuwara Eliya dt.

Ikiri-golla: The stretch of Ikiri, the plant Barleria, Matale dt.

Pathko’la-golla: The garden to get banana leaves, Matale dt.

Kirala-golla: The grove of wattled lapwing birds, Matale district.


Pol:

Pol-gaha-wela: The paddy fields having coconut palms, Kurunegala dt. Wela in Sinhala and Veali in Tamil, DED 5538, from fence, mean paddy field.

Pol-hena: The cleared forest where coconut palms are grown, Colombo, Galle, Matara dts; Heana in Sinhala, Cheanai in Tamil and Punam in old Tamil, DED 4337, mean slash and burn or dry cultivation.

Pol-watta: The coconut-palm grove, Matale, Galle, Matara, Kurunegala dts.

Pol-kumbura: The paddy field having coconut palms, Kandy dt., Kumbura in Sinkala and Kampalai in Tamil, DED 1237 mean paddy field.

Pol-attawa: The coconut-palm forest, Matale dt.

Pol-gahaan-ge: The house of coconut palms.

Pol-pitiya: The mound or rising ground of coconut palms, Nuwara Eliya, Kurunegala dts.

Pol-pela-ketiya: The piece of field having rows of coconut palms, Galle dt.

Pol-gahan-goda: The hill or hillock of coconut palms, Kurunegala dt. Goda in Sinhala and Koadu in Tamil, DED 2049, 2200, mean hill, hillock or bank.

Pol-gaha-agaaraya: The valley of coconut palms, Kurunegala dt. Agaaraya in Sinhala is valley. Agala in Sinhala and Akazhi in Tamil (DED 11) mean ditch or moat.

Pol-watta-gedara: The house of coconut palm grove, Kurunegala dt.

Pol-gaha-yaaya: The expanse of coconut palms, Kurunegala dt. See Moo’laay.

Pol-katuwa: The cluster of coconut palms, Kurunegala dt. Kattuwa means crowd in Sinhala, Kaddu means bundle in Tamil and it means intensity, abundance etc in Kannada from the root Kadu, DED 1135.

Thani-pol-gaha-langa: The nearby area of a single coconut palm, Ambalan-goda division, Galle dt. Thani (Dravidian Etymological Dictionary 3196), means single, lone etc in Tamil as well as in Sinhala.

* * *

Gollewa

Gollewa is a form of golla / Kollai, largely found in the Anuradhapura district.

Kebithi-gollewa: The jungle of Kæpitiya (a species of croton, Lacciferum), Anuradhapura dt.

Etaweera-gollewa: The jungle of Æta wærælla shrub (Dodonæa viscose) or Æta-weera, the hard variety of Weera (there are at least 5 kinds of trees and shrubs having this name) Anuradhapura dt.

Galweera-gollewa: The jungle of the hard or stony variety of Weera trees, Anuradhapura dt.

Ikiri-gollewa: The jungle of Ikiri, Barleria prionitis, plant, Anuradhapura district

Kumbuk-gollewa: The jungle of Kumbuk, Terminalia arjuna, trees, Anuradhapura dt.

Una-gollewa: The jungle of U’na, bamboo, Bambusa vulgaris, Anuradhapura dt.

Kon-gollewa: The jungle of Koan, Ceylon Oak, Schleichera trijuga trees, Anuradhapura dt.

Himbutu-gollewa: The jungle of Himbutu-wæl, Salacia reticulata, creeping plant, Anuradhapura dt.

* * *

Kæle / Kela

The following is the district-wise breakdown of the instances of large village names having the component Kæle (normally written in English as Kele):

Nuwara Eliya: 10, Puththa’lam: 10, Kandy: 9, Kurunegala: 8, Ampaa’rai: 6, Anuradhapura: 6, Gampaha: 5, Ka’ltara: 4, Badulla: 3, Matara: 2, Kegalle: 1, Polannaruwa: 1, Colombo: 1.

Kele-gedara: The house in the woods, Gampaha dt

Kele-piti-mulla: The corner of the wooded mound. Gampaha dt.

Pinna-kele: The thicket of Pinna shrub, Gampaha dt.

Uyan-kele: The pleasure garden, ka’lutara dt.

Keles-gamuwa: The village in the jungle, Ka’lutara dt.

Hal-wala-kele: The jungle of Hal trees, Ka’lutara dt.

Katu-kele: The thorny jungle, Ka’lutara, Kandy dts.

Kele-bokka: The creek in the wood, Kandy dt.

Madul-kele: The jungle of Garcinea echinocarpa trees, Kandy dt.

Wata-kele: The round forest, Kandy, Badulla dts.

Aluth-palle-kele: The new village of the forest in the foothills, Kandy dt.

Labu-kele: The jungle of Artocarpus nobilis or some other tree species having the prefix Labu, Nuwara Eliya dt.

Gona-kele: The jungle of Diospyros insignis trees, Nuwara Eliya dt.

Wewa-kele: The jungle of the reservoir, Nuwara Eliya, Badulla dts.

Bambara-kele: The forest of Bambara honeybees, Nuwara Eliya dt.

Ka’lu-kele: The jungle of some dark species of trees., Nuwara Eliya, Polonnaruwa dts.

Kele-gala: The wooded rocky hill, Nuwara Eliya dt.

Thalawa-kele: The jungle in the open grassland, Nuwara Eliya dt.

Kiriwel-kele: The thicket of Kiriwel, plant, either Morinda umballata or Ichnocarpus frutescens, Matara dt.

Kele-gama: The village in the jungle, Ampaa’rai, Kurunegala, Kegalle dts.

Paragaha-kele: The jungle of Para, Dillenia dentata trees, Ampaa’rai dt.

Palle-kele: The jungle at the lower ground, Kurunegala, Puththa’lam dts.

Aran-kele: The preserved jungle, Kurunegala dt.

Divula-kele: The jungle of wood-apple trees, Kurunegala dt.

Kele-wewa: The reservoir of the forest, Puththa’lam dt.

Amba-kele: The mango grove. Puththa’lam dt.

Burutha-kele: The jungle of satin wood, Chloroxylon swietenia, Puththa’lam dt.

Damba-kele: The jungle of rose apple trees, Puththa’lam dt.

Weera-kele-watta: The garden of the forest of Weera, Flacourtia cataphracta, Nerium odorum or some other kinds of trees having the name Veera /Veerai, Puththa’lam dt.

Mora-kele: The jungle of Mora trees, Puththa’lam dt.

Naa-kele: the jungle of Naa trees, Puththa’lam dt.

Kele-nika-wewa: The reservoir of the jungle of Nika trees, Anuradhapura dt.

Kele-divul-wewa: The reservoir of the forest of wood apple trees, Anuradhapura dt

Kele-siyambala-wewa: The reservoir of the forest of tamarind trees. Anuradhapura dt.

Kele-puliyan-ku’lama: The reservoir of the forest of tamarind trees, Anuradhapura dt.

Kelewa: Kele-wewa, The reservoir of the jungle, Anuradhapura dt.

Maha-kele: The big forest, Badulla dt.

Vihara-kele: The jungle having a Vihara, Badulla dt.

First published: Sunday, 19 September 2010, 22:38