Know the Etymology: 172
Place Name of the Day: Wednesday, 01 November 2017

Agaliya, Agala-vatta

அக₃லிய, அக₃லவத்த
Agaliya, Agala-vatta

Agaliya
Agala+vatta

The ditch/ narrow valley

The residential place in the ditch/ narrow valley

Agala	ditch, trench (Sinhala, Clough); Agal, Agaḷ: moat for the protection of a fort etc., "Nagarārākṣāva sańdahā hātpasa kẹṇavū gẹṁburu vū da paḷal vū da āvāṭaya"; boundary trench, "Māyim sańdahā iḍam avaṭa sādanu labana ẹḷa nohot paskańda" (Sinhala, Sorata notes Dravidian etymology); Agallanavā, Agala-damanavā: (verb) to cut a ditch (Sinhala, Clough); Akaḻ: (verb) to excavate, dig out; (noun) moat, excavated tank (Tamil, DED 11, Maturaikkāñci, 641; Puṟanāṉūṟu, 379: 18; Perumpāṇāṟṟuppaṭai, 108; Tamil Brahmi inscription, ETE, 2003, 76); Akaḻi: moat, ditch, trench (Tamil, Malayalam, DED 11, Puṟanāṉūṟu, 14: 5; Maturaikkāñci, 86); Agaḻ: (verb) to dig; (noun) what has been dug (Kannada, DED 11); Agaḷû: ditch, trench, moat (Tulu, DED 11); Agul: (verb) to dig (Kolami, Naikri, DED 11); cognates in 12 Dravidian languages; Ańgoḷi: trench, ditch, stream (old Dhivehi/ Maldivian, DBF)
Ẹgiliya	ditch, drain (Sinhala, Clough). See box on Agala
Vatta	place, grove, garden, residential place, (Sinhala, see column 61)

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Agala in Sinhala means a ditch, trench or moat. In Sinhala place names the term is also found applied to a narrow valley or to a long and deep depression. Another related term Ẹgaliya in Sinhala means a ditch or drain.

Agala corresponds to Akaḻ in Tamil/ Dravidian, which as a verb means to dig and as a noun means a moat, trench etc. The cognates Agaḻa in Kannada and Agaḷû in Tulu are closer to Sinhala in word form. The other Sinhala term Ẹgaliya and the toponymic usage Agaliya as seen in the place name example are closer to the form Akaḻi in Tamil and Malayalam.

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Akaḻ as verb meaning to dig:

"நிலன் அகழ் உளியர்" (மதுரைக்காஞ்சி, 641)

"Nilaṉ akaḻ uḷiyar" (Maturaikkāñci, 641)

(They) have a crowbar to dig earth

Akaḻ as noun meaning a moat:


"குறும்பு அடு குண்டு அகழ் நீள் மதில் ஊரே" (புறநானூறு, 379: 18)

"Kuṟumpu aṭu kuṇṭu akaḻ nīḷ matil ūrē" (Puṟanāṉūṟu, 379: 18)

The village or town having a long wall and a deep moat that defeat raiders


Toponymic use of Akaḻ in Tamil Brahmi inscription:

"[இ]ளங் காயிபன் ஏவ அகழ் ஊரறம்" (Tamil Brahmi inscription, ETE, 2003, 76)

"[I]ḷaṅ kāyipaṉ ēva akaḻ ūraṟam" (Tamil Brahmi inscription, ETE, 2003, 76)

The charity (Aṟam) made by Akaḻ-ūr at the bidding of Iḷaṅ-kāyipaṉ. [Akaḻ-ūr: a village or town probably surrounded by a moat]


Akaḻi as a moat or trench:

"பார் உடைத்த குண்டு அகழி" (புறநானூறு, 14: 5)

"Pār uṭaitta kuṇṭu akaḻi" (Puṟanāṉūṟu, 14: 5)

The deep trench or moat made by breaking rocks

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Agaliya is a place in Welivitiya-Divithura division of Galle district. The place is a narrow valley.

Agala-vatta is headquarters of a division by its name in Kalutara district. The place is located in a narrow valley.

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Some related place names:

Agala-baḍa: Walasmulla, Hambantota

Agul-maḍuva: Beliatta, Hambantota

Agale-gedara: Divulapitiya, Gampaha

Ẹgal-oya: Bulathsinhala, Kalutara

Hệgalla: Balapitiya, Galle

Ệgalla: Polgahawela, Kurunegala; Warakapola, Kegalle. Ệgalla in Kurunegala district is a depression surrounded by hill ridges; Ệgalla in Kegalle district is in a narrow valley

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Revised: Wednesday, 01 November 2017, 18:30

First published: Monday, 06 December 2010, 23:47