Know the Etymology: 178
Place Name of the Day: Tuesday, 20 June 2017

Kolinjāḍiya, Kal-aḍiya, Yaṭiyana, Yaṭi-nuvara, Yaṭa-gama

கொலின்ஜாடி₃ய, கல்-அடி₃ய, ய[ட்]டியன, ய[ட்]டிநுவர, ய[ட்]ட-க₃ம
Kolinjāḍiya, Kal-aḍiya, Yaṭiyana, Yaṭi-nuvara, Yaṭa-gama

Kolinji+aḍiya
Kal+aḍiya
Yaṭi+āna
Yaṭi+nuvara
Yaṭa+gama

The locality of Koḻiñci (purple wild indigo) plants, or the locality of a Koḻiñci type of tree

The stony locality

The lower place

The lower part of the city (Kandy district)

The village beneath or the village at the lower part

Aḍiya	locality, place, neighbourhood, surroundings (mostly noticed in some Sinhalicised Tamil place names of Puttalam district; related to Aṭi in Tamil and Aḍi/ Aḍiya in Sinhala); Aḍi: (plural), Aḍiya: (singular) 1. Foot, footstep, the bottom of anything, the measure of one foot/ 12 inches (Sinhala, Clough); Sorata gives additional meanings related to the said meanings; Aḍi-tālama: foundation (Sinhala, Clough); 2. In combination with some verbs it signifies fixing (Sinhala Clough); Aḍi-allanavā: to settle, to fix, to remain, to take up an abode (Sinhala, Clough); Aḍi: foot, measure of foot, step, pace, base, bottom, under (Kannada, DED 72); place below, down (Kodagu, DED 72); bottom, base (Tulu, DED 72); beneath, below, low (Gondi, DED 72); Aḍugu: foot, footstep, step, pace, measure of a foot, bottom, basis (Telugu, DED 72); Aṭi: foot, sole, footprint, base, bottom, source, origin, underneath (Tamil, DED 72, Kuṟuntokai, 138: 3; 243: 1; 262: 5-8; Akanāṉūṟu, 55: 3); place (Tamil, MTL, Piṅkalam 719); nearness, proximity (Tamil, MTL); sole, footstep, bottom, base (Malayalam, DED 72); cognates in 11 Dravidian languages; Āḻ: (verb) to sink, plunge, dive, be deep, fall down (Tamil, DED 396, Ḻ/ Ṭ/ Ḍ change). See column 56 for Tamil place names related to Aṭi.
Yaṭi	also Yaṭa: (adjective) under, below, beneath (Sinhala, Clough); lower part, "Adhōbhāgaya, Pahata, Uḍapẹtẹn anik pẹtta (Sinhala, Sorata); Yaṭi: lower (Brahmi inscription, IC, Vol I, 143); probably related to Aṭi by the addition or omission of Y, which is common in words beginning with some vowels. See box on Aḍi above and column 56
Yaṭa	= Yaṭi: (Sinhala, Sorata). See Yaṭi
Koliñja	from Koḻiñci, Koḻuñci: 1. Purple wild indigo, "Koḷḷuk-kāyviḷai", Tephrosia purpurea (Tamil, MTL, DED 2145); Koḻiññil: Galega colonila, a purple flowering plant (Malayalam, DED 2145); 2. Sylhet Orange, "Kiccili", Citrus aurantium nobilis chrysocarpa; Bitter Orange, Indian wild lime, "Nārattai", Citrus aurantium nobilis (Tamil, MTL), 3. Trees or plants as the figs, which bear without blossoming (Tamil, MTL, Piṅkalam, 9: 223); Kōḷi: Trees or plants as the figs, which bear without blossoming (Tamil, Caṅkam diction, Puṟanāṉuṟu, 58: 2-3); banyan, fig (Tamil, Tivākaram, 4: 8; Piṅkalam, 9: 64); = Koḻiñci: (Tamil, Piṅkalam, 9: 223)
Ana	probably shortened form of the suffix, Āna: place, "Āyatanaya, Sthānaya" (Sinhala, Sorata). See column 162
Kal	stone, rock, hill (Tamil, DED 1298); = Gala (Sinhala, Sorata). See column 47
Nuvara	city, village, "Nagaraya, Grāmaya" (Sinhala, Sorata); means Kandy city, Kandy region (Maha-nuvara) in the context of the place name; see column 132
Gama	village (Sinhala); see column 36

The word Aḍi/ Aḍiya in Sinhala is identical in meanings to Aṭi in Tamil and Malayalam, and Aḍi in Kannada, Kodagu, Tulu and Gondi. The term is listed as Dravidian (DED 72).

Even though a word of common usage in Sinhala, Aḍi/ Aḍiya is not found used in toponomic sense in Sinhala place names, while Aṭi is commonly used in Tamil place names in a derivative sense of meaning to mark a place, locality, neighbourhood or surroundings. Note the obvious Sinhalicisation in the few Aḍiya-related place names cited in this column, coming from Puttalam district. Also see column 56 on Aṭi-related place names.

* * *

The words Yaṭa and Yaṭi, in their adjectival usage, mean lower, under, below or beneath in Sinhala. In these meanings they are commonly used in Sinhala place names, as opposite terms of Uḍa/ Uḍu.

The etymology of Yaṭa/ Yaṭi, in the said senses of meaning, may be related to Aṭi/ Aḍi, as the addition or omission of Y in front of vowels is a linguistic feature (see column 56).

Related to another etymon, Yaṭi also means a staff or post in Sinhala, corresponding to Yaṣṭi in Sanskrit and Yaṭṭhi in Pali meaning the same (CDIAL 1044).

The term Yaṭi appears as prefix of a phrase in an early Brahmi inscription in the island, which is interpreted by Paranavitana as a place name prefix meaning lower (IC, Vol I, 143)

* * *

Kolinjāḍiya is a place in Wennapuwa division of Puttalam district.

Kal-aḍiya is in Puttalam division of Puttalam district. Note a number of place names coming as Kallaṭi in Tamil.

Yaṭiyana is seen as a place name in Minuwangoḍa division of Gampaha district; Attanagalla division of Gampaha district; Bandaragama division of Kalutara district; Agalawatta division of Kalutara district; and in Thihagoda division of Matara district. Note the opposite toponym Uḍuvana in Homagama, Colombo

Yaṭi-nuvara is a name of a division in Kandy district, as differentiated from Uḍu-nuvara

Yaṭa-gama comes as a place name in Minuwangoda division of Gampaha district; Akmeemana division of Galle district and in Rambukkana division of Kegalle district. Uḍa-gama or Uḍugama is the opposite toponym.

* * *

Some related place names:

Aḍiya:

Panaiyaḍiya: Kalpitti, Puttalam. Panai+aḍiya; Paṉai: palmyra (Tamil)

Sirambi-aḍiya: Puttalam, Puttalam. Sirāmbi: = Ciṟāmpi: loft for keeping watch, see column 474

Til-aḍiya: Puttalam, Puttalam. Tillai+aḍi; Tillai: a mangrove tree (Tamil)

Vīraḍiya: Uhana, Ampara (Kalmunai OIS). Vīra+aḍiya/ Vīrai+aṭi; Vīrai/ Vīra: a tree, Drypetes sepiaria (Tamil and Sinhala respectively). See column 311

Uḍagomaḍiya: Katuwana, Hambantota. Uḍa+gom+aḍiya?

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Yaṭi:

Yaṭi-hēna: Biyagama, Gampaha; Polgahawela, Kurunegala

Yaṭi-rāvaṇa: Pathadumbara, Kandy. Note Uḍu-rāvaṇa

Yaṭi-vāvala: Harispattuwa, Kandy. Note Uḍu-vāvala; Vāvala: Vāva+la affix; Vāva: Vẹva (Sinhala, Sorata

Yaṭihala-gala: Harispattuwa, Kandy. Yaṭi+ihala+gala; note the place name Ihala+ gala+gama

Yaṭi-gammana: Yatinuwara, Kandy

Yaṭi-galpotta: Galewela, Matale

Yaṭi-vẹhẹra: Galewela, Matale

Yaṭi-hańguranketa: Hanguranketha, Nuwara Eliya

Yaṭi-mādura: Walapane, Nuwara Eliya. Note Uḍa-mādura

Yaṭi-vẹlla: Walapane, Nuwara Eliya

Yaṭi-gala: Okewela, Hambantota

Yaṭi-vala: Mawathagama, Kurunegala; Deraniyagala, Kegalle

Yaṭi-gal-oḷuva: Alawwa, Kurunegala

Yaṭi-yal-patāna: Hingurakgoda, Polonnaruwa. Yal+pata+āna; note the place name Yalpat-vela

Yaṭilệlla-gama: Soranathota, Badulla. Yaṭi+la+ẹllagama? Note place names like Uḍalā-gama, Udala-matta etc.

Yaṭi-yallā-toṭa: Buttala, Moneragala. Yaṭi+ẹlla+toṭa?

Yaṭi-pavva: Kiriella, Ratnapura. Pavva: 1. Pāva: part; 2. Pavuva: hill

Yaṭi-val-deniya: Rambukkana, Kegalle

Yaṭi-mahana: Mawanella, Kegalle. Mahana < Māṉa: area, direction, side

Yaṭiyan-toṭa: Yatiyantoṭa, Kegalle. Yaṭiyana+toṭa?

* * *

Yaṭa:

Yaṭa-vatura: Padukka, Colombo. Vatura: farm, cultivated ground having abundance of water (Sinhala, Clough). See column 267

Yaṭa-vaka: Attagalla, Gampaha. Vaka: part, portion, share; see column 155

Yaṭa-gampiṭiya: Bulathsinhala, Kalutara

Yaṭa-vara: Millaniya, Kalutara; Pathadumbara, Kandy. Note the place name , Uḍu-vara; Vara: surroundings, limits; see column 282

Yaṭa-dōḷa-vatta: Mathugama, Kalutara. Dōḷa: see column 369

Yaṭa-pāna: Ganga Ihala Korale, Kandy. Pāna: variation of Pana; see column 220

Yaṭa-vatta: Yatawatta, Matale. Vatta: see column 61

Karagaha-yaṭa-tẹnna: Kothmale, Nuwara Eliya. Tẹnna: place, plain, usually a high-ground plain

Yaṭa-gala: Karandeniya, Galle

Yaṭala-matta: Nagoda, Galle. Note Uḍala-matta

Yaṭa-mala-gala: Yakkalamulla, Galle

Yaṭattāvala: Pannala, Kurunegala. Yaṭa+attāvala

Yaṭa-kalāna: Mahawewa, Puttalam. Kalāna: Kala+āna? Kala: threshing floor

Aḷut-yaṭa-vela: Mahiyanganaya, Badulla

Yaṭāgarē: Kahawatta, Ratnapura. Yaṭa+agarē; Agāra, Agārē: dale, depression; see column 408 * * *


Revised: Tuesday, 20 June 2017, 18:30

First published: Friday, 07 January 2011, 21:08