Know the Etymology: 190
Place Name of the Day: Monday, 21 February 2011

Bodhi-ma’luwa, Changku-maal, Aa’rukaal-madam

போதிமளுவ, சங்குமால், ஆறுகால் மடம்
Bōdhimaḷuva, Caṅkumāl, Āṟukāl maṭam

Bodhi+ma’luwa
Changku+maal
Aa’ru+kaal+madam

The fig-tree terrace,
The shed or yard to keep dived conch shells,
The six-pillared resting-place

Ma’luwa	Also Ma’lu-ma’ndapa: Court (applied to the outer part of ancient building), terrace, yard, fold, enclosure, shed, tent (Sinhala); Maduwa: Shed, temporary building, bungalow (Sinhala); Maaligaya, Maaligaawa: Palace, residence of a king, temple (Sinhala); Maadam: Storied house, house, mansion, hall, hut (Tamil, Dravidian Etymological Dictionary, 4796); Maadi: Terrace (Tamil, DED 4796); Maa’likai: Palace, temple, mansion, house (Tamil, DED 4796); Maa’la, Maa’lige, Maada, Maata: A large building, up-stair house (Kannada, DED 4796); Maatam: House with an up-stair; Maa’lika: Up-stairs, palace (Malayalam, DED 4796); Maada: Shrine of a demon (Tulu, DED 4796); Maa’lo: A pandal-like erection to keep night watch, usually in a house (Tulu, DED 4796); Maat: Elevated platform (Kolami, DED 4796); Maa’ra: Elevated platform in a field (Naikri dialect of Kolami, DED 4796); Maalikaa: Whitewashed, upper-storied house; Maadi: Palace; Maada: Some kind of a building; Maala: Upper part of a building (Sanskrit); Maa’la, Maala: A sort of pavilion, hall (Pali); Maadia: House; Maala: Upper part of a house (Prakrit, see Turner, Comparative Dictionary of Indo-Aryan Languages, entry No. 9996); Medai: Platform, raised floor, artificial mound, terraced house (Tamil, DED 4796 B); Meata: Raised place, tower, upper story, palace (Malayalam DED 4796 B); Meada: House with stories, upper chamber (Telugu, DED 4796 B); Mear, Mea’ra, Mea’raa: Storied house (Middle Dravidian Languages, DED 4796 B); Meta: White-washed storied house (Sanskrit); Medaya: White-washed storied house (Prakrit); Meadu, Meddu: Mound, elevated place, high ground etc (Tamil/ cognates in other Dravidian languages, DED 5058). Note the L,‘L > < D,T, R,’R interchange in the above examples.
Maal	A shed with raised platform, outhouse, shed to keep cattle in a house premises, a shed outside the house to take rest and to receive visitors; yard (Eezham Tamil, also found in Thooththukkudi part of Tamil Nadu). See table above for etymology.
Madam	A roadside resting-place with a raised platform and roof, similar to Ampalam (Eezham Tamil). See table above for etymology
Bodhi	Also Bo: The fig tree, Ficus religiosa, gained the name because of its association with Buddha (Sanskrit/ Prakrit/ Sinhala); Bodhi: Perfect knowledge of wisdom by which a person becomes a Buddha or Jina (Sanskrit/ Prakrit, Buddhist and Jaina vocabulary); Poathi: (noun) The fig tree (Tamil, Chilappathikaaram, 10:11); (adjective) prefix to Buddha as in Poathi-a’ravoan, Poathi-uravoan, Poathith-thalaivan, Poathip-pakavan, Poathip-piraan, Poathi-maathavan (Tamil, Chilappathikaaram, 15:103; Ma’nimeakalai, 12:111, 11:43, 28:174, 15:29-30; Veerachoazhiyam 78); Poathi-man’ram: The terrace or open-hall having a fig tree (Tamil, Chilappathikaaram, 23:76)
Changku	Conch (Tamil); S’angkha: Conch (Sanskrit, and many Indo-Aryan and Dravidian languages); Sangkha: Conch (Pali); Hak: Conch (Sinhala); Changku: Throat (Tamil, Malayalam, DED 2282); Hak: Neck; Hak-nara: Throat (Pengo, a Dravidian language, DED 2282)
Aa’ru-kaal	> Six-pillared (Tamil); Aa’ru: Six (Tamil, DED 2485); Kaal: Leg, pillar (Tamil, DED 1489)

Ma’luwa in Sinhala basically means a terrace.

For instance, the three terraces built one upon the other around the Mahaa Bodhi fig tree at Anuradhapura are called the Weli-ma’luwa (the sand terrace), Devani-ma’luva (the second terrace) and Uda-ma’luwa (the upper terrace).

From the examples of Sinhala place names (see examples below) it could be seen that any raised platform built under a tree is called a Ma’luwa.

Ma’luwa also means, a court (applied to the outer part of ancient building), yard, fold, enclosure, shed or tent in Sinhala (Clough’s Sinhala-English Dictionary).

The phrase Dalada-ma’luwa in Sinhala is used to refer to a ruined temple built on a high terrace at Polonnaruwa, meant for keeping the tooth relic when Polonnaruwa was the capital.

In South Asian languages, ‘L and D interchange not only between languages, but also on many instances within a language itself.

The word Maduwa in Sinhala, meaning shed, temporary building, bungalow etc is one such example.

The words, Maaligaya and Maaligaawa, meaning terraced or tiered buildings such as a palace, residence of a king, mansion, temple etc in Sinhala are etymologically related to Ma’luwa.

The Tamil cognates of the above words are Maadam and Maa’likai, which mean a terrace and a terraced or tiered building.

Even though Sanskrit and Prakrits also have cognates, the Dravidian Etymological Dictionary of Emeneau and Burrow lists Maadam and Maa’likai under words of Dravidian etymology (DED 4796), perhaps because the original shade of meaning is missing in the Sanskrit/ Prakrit usages.

The prevalence of cognates in several Dravidian languages, giving the basic shade of meaning, and also the presence of another related word Meadu (elevated ground) and Meadai (terrace) in the Dravidian languages have to be taken into account in this context (DED 4796 B, 5058).

Maa’la in Kannada and Maa’lo in Tulu seem to be cognates closer to Ma’luwa in Sinhala.

See the table above for the other cognates and also note the following examples for usages in Tamil:

”மாடம் மாளிகை சூளிகை தெற்றி” (பிங்கலம் நிகண்டு 4:211)

”Maadam maa’likai choo’likai thetti” (Maadam, Maa’likai and Choo’likai mean a terrace; Pinkalam lexicon 4:211)

“மாடமலி மறுகின் கூடல் ஆங்கண்” (அகநானூறு 346:20)

“Maadamali ma’rukin koodal aangka’n” (In the streets of Mathurai city abounding with terraced houses; Akanaanoo’ru 346:20)

மாடக்கோயில் (சம்பந்தர் தேவாரம், 3:18:1)

Maadak-koayil: A terraced temple (Champanthar Theavaaram, 3:18:1)

தூங்கானை மாடம் (சம்பந்தர் தேவாரம், 1:59:1)

Thoongkaanai-maadam: Thoongku-aanai-maadam: A terraced temple shaped like a sleeping elephant (a temple of apsidal sanctum; Champanthar Theavaaram, 1:59:1)

Maadan, Maadasaami, Chudalai-maadan: A folk deity worshipped on a terrace in the cremation ground.

* * *

The components Maa’likai in Tamil and Maaligaya/ Maaligaawa in Sinhala also come in many place names in the island.

Dalada-maaligaawa in Kandy means the temple for the tooth relic. But in many other instances, the components, both in Tamil and Sinhala mean ruins of mansions or palaces. See the related place names below.

* * *

Maal is a usage peculiar to Eezham Tamil and to some pockets in southern Tamil Nadu.

In Eezham Tamil, especially in Jaffna Peninsula, Maal is a terraced, open shed adjacent to a house, meant for one or more of the following purposes: to take rest, receive visitors, to do household activities like pounding paddy, flour etc, to keep cattle and sometimes to store items such as hay, firewood etc.

When used for cattle it is called Maaddu-maal

The raised earthen terrace under the thatched roof of a Maal is usually maintained by paving it regularly with a mixture of slime and cow dung.

A usage of Maal noticed in the Eezham Tamil place names, is Changku-maal, which means a shed or a yard meant for keeping dived conch shells.

Interestingly, the usage Changku-maal is also found in the Thooththukkudi Tamil of Tamil Nadu. (Kotkai, a Tamil novel on the Paravar of Thooththukkudi region, by Joe d’ Cruz, 2009, p 22)

Both Jaffna and Thooththukkudi are traditionally known for diving and export of best quality conch shells in the region.

Another example for the occurrence of Maal in the Eezham Tamil place names is Chanthippu-maal, a locality name in A’laveddi, Jaffna. It is said that a shed here was used as a meeting place for patrolling watchmen during Dutch times (E. Balasundaram, 2002, p.189).

Obviously Maal is related to Ma’luwa of Dravidian etymology discussed above.

The word formation and the shade of meaning of Maal are closer to Maa’lo in Tulu (a Dravidian language of the western coast of southern Karnataka), which means a pandal-like erection to keep night watch, usually in a house (DED 4796), and to Maa’la/ Maala in Pali which means a sort of pavilion or a hall (Turner, Comparative Dictionary of Indo-Aryan Languages 9996). See table above.

* * *

The component Madam, in its sense of meaning in the place names as a roadside resting-place, is again peculiar to Eezham Tamil.

Madam in the context of Eezham Tamil place names is equivalent to Ampalam in Tamil and Ampalama in Sinhala. See column on Ambalan-tota.

A roadside Madam is usually a small open hall of raised platform, pillars and thatched or tiled roof. They were built on the highways for the cart-men, caravans and pedestrians to take rest, and were recognized as important landmarks in the past.

A madam is usually a complex. Besides the open hall there will be a well or pond, a water-tub especially for the bullocks of the carts to drink water, a stone post called Aavuragnchikkal, for the cattle to rub and massage their bodies, and a stepped platform called Chumaithaangki, for pedestrians of different height coming with head-weight to place the weight and take it back again without any assistance.

Building such complexes was considered a great charity in those days. A Chumai-thaangki was particularly erected to the memory of a woman died in childbirth.

Madams were usually identified by their features or by their founders or by the people who were using it.

Madam complexes on highways and important junctions became the nucleus when settlements developed around them, and no wonder, the names of such madams became the names of the settlements.

The term Madam is related to Maadam discussed above, in its shade of meaning hall in Tamil (DED 4796)

* * *

The basic meaning of the word Bodhi in Sanskrit and Prakrits is perfect knowledge of wisdom by which a person becomes a Buddha or Jina.

In the Buddhist vocabulary of Prakrits and Sanskrit, the fig tree gained the name Bodhi as Buddha achieved enlightenment seated under a fig tree and as the tree has become the symbol of enlightenment.

Bodhi as well as its shortened form Bo means the fig tree in Sinhala.

The Tamilised form Poathi was also used in this sense since early times (Chilappathikaaram, 10-11, c. 5th century CE). Poathi-manram in Tamil meant a terrace shrine for the fig tree (Chilappathikaaram, 23:76)

Tamil Buddhist literature comes out with a number of terms to refer to Buddha associated with Poathi (see table).

* * *

S’angkha in Sanskrit/ Prakrits, meaning conch and found used in Atharva Veda (Monier Williams), has cognates in almost all South Asian languages, both Indo-Aryan and Dravidian. The earliest usage of the Tamil form Changku is found in Ma’nimeakalai (8:3).

The common Sinhala form of the word is Hak (S/ H interchange).

Changku, giving another meaning, throat, in Tamil/ Malayalam is listed as Dravidian (DED 2282). Changku as conch was often compared with the neck of a girl in Tamil literary usages. A cognate of Changku, meaning neck, is the word Hak in Pengo, a Dravidian language (DED 2282).

* * *

Bodhi-ma’luwa is a place in Bentota division of Galle district. There is another Bodhi-ma’luwa in the Kuruwita division of Ratnapura district.

Changku-maal-adi, meaning the locality of the shed or yard for dived conch shells, is in the Pungkudutheevu Island of Jaffna district (E. Balasundaram, 2002, p.154).

Aa’rukaal-madam is a locality in Aanaikkoaddai, Jaffna district, where there is a roadside madam. The resting place here still retains all the features of the complex, such as a well, water-tub, stone-post for the cattle to rub and a high platform for pedestrians to keep their head-weight, besides the open hall.

* * *

Some related place names:

Ma’luwa:

Mahaa-ma’luwa: The Great Terrace; Kandy city, Kandy district. This is the royal square close to the Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Tooth) in Kandy, where in old times people assembled to see the king.

Adahana-ma’luwa: The cremation terrace; Kandy City, Kandy district. This is the terrace where members of the royal family were cremated in the times of the Kingdom of Kandy.

Dalada-maluwa: The terrace of the tooth-relic; Polonnaruwa, Polonnaruwa district. This is the name of the ruined temple of tooth-relic at Polonnaruwa.

Naa-ma’luwa: The terrace of the Naa tree; Dompe division, Gampaha district

Ina-ma’luwa: Probably Inna-ma’luwa: A yard or terrace enclosed by hedge-stakes; Dambulla division, Matale district

Palle-ma’luwa: The terrace on the lower ground; Hanguranketha division, Nuwara Eliya district

Bodhi-ma’luwa: The terrace of the Fig tree; Bentota division, Galle district, Kuruwita division, Ratnapura district

Bo-ma’luwa: The terrace of the Fig tree; Dehiowita division, Kegalle district

Sitina-ma’luwa: The white terrace or the terrace of mind’s reflection; Beliatta division, Hampantota district

Mæda-ma’luwa: The terrace in the middle; Thamamjaduwa division, Polonnaruwa district

Kokatiya-ma’luwa: The terrace of the Kokatiya tree; Hali-Ela division, Badulla district

Huri-ma’luwa: The terrace or old building haunted by a demon or goblin; Rambukkana division, Kegalle district

Nitta-ma’luwa: The terrace in ruins; Imbulpe division, Ratnapura district

Weli-ma’luwa: The sand terrace or the terrace in the sands; Pelmadulla division, Ratnapura district

* * *

Maa’likai:

Maa’likai: The mansion; Vavuniyaa division, Vavuniyaa district

Maa’likaik-kaadu: The jungle of the (ruined) mansion; Kaaraitheevu division, Ampaa’rai district

Maa’likaith-thidal: The mound of the (ruined) mansion; Maanthai West division, Mannaar district

Maa’likai-vayal: The paddy fields of the (ruined) mansion; Oddusuddaan, division, Mullaiththeevu district

* * *

Maaliga:

Maaliga-thenna: The place of the mansion/ palace; Rambukkana division, Kegalle district; Badalkumbura division, Moneragala district; Welimada division, Badulla district; Hal-Ela division, Badulla district; Passara division, Badulla district; Baliatta division, Hambantota district; Matale division, Matale district; Yatawatta division, Matale district; Yatinuwara division, Kandy district; KFGG Korale division, Kandy district; Mahara division, Gampaha district; Mirigama division, Gampaha district

Maaliga-watta: The grove of the mansion; Colombo division, Colombo district; Mahawewa division, Puththa’lam district

Maaliga-vila: The pond of the mansion; Buttala division, Moneragala district

Maaliga-godella: The hillock having a mansion; Kolonnawa division, Colombo district

Maaliga-kanda: The hill having a mansion; Colombo division, Colombo district

Maaliga-hena: The slash and burn cultivation fields having (ruins of) a mansion; Beruwala division, Kalutara district

Maaliga-purana: The fallow paddy fields of the palace or temple; GI Korale division, Kandy district

Dalada-Maaligaawa: The temple of the tooth (relic); Kandy division, Kandy district

* * *

Madam:

Kanthar-madam: The resting place probably constructed by a person called Kanthar; Nalloor division, Jaffna district

Oaddu-madam: The resting place with a tiled roof; Va’n’naarpa’n’nai, Jaffna district

Therumoodi-madam: The resting place on either side of the road with a vaulted roof covering the road; Point Pedro, Jaffna district

Madaththukkarai-Amman-koayil: The temple of the goddess (in this case Ka’n’nakai) on the side of the resting place: Kaarainakar division, Jaffna district

Madaththu-ve’li: The expanse having a resting place: Pungkudutheevu, Jaffna district

Pi’l’lai-madam: The resting place probably built by a person having the surname Pi’l’lai; Ka’ndaava’lai division, Ki’linochchi district

Thimila-madam: The resting place of the Thimilar community; Ka’ndaava’lai division, Ki’linochchi district. Thimilar: A maritime community found in the north and east of the island (Eezham Tamil); From Thimil: Ship, boat, fishing boat (Tamil, Changkam Diction, Ku’runthokai, 123: 4-5; Paripaadal 10:71; Thivaakara Nika’ndu, 7:216); Thimilar: Boatmen (Tamil, Changkam Diction, Mathuraikkaagnchi, 318-319); Thimiloan: Person of a fishing boat (Tamil, Changkam Diction, Akanaanoo’ru, 320:2); Thimil: Hump as of a bullock, kind of a drum (Tamil, DED 3239, 3237). The convexity/ concavity connected to the shape of a boat.

Gnaani-madam: The resting place, which probably a hermit was using as an abode (Poonakai division, Ki’linochchi district

Valaignar-madam: The resting place of fishermen; Karaithuraippattu division, Mullaiththeevu district

Onthaachchi-madam: The resting place built by a person bearing the name Onthaachchi (belonging to the Ondaatje family since Dutch times); Ka’luvaagnchikkudi division, Batticaloa district. The Ondaatjes were a Tamil family that came from Tamil Nadu by mid 17th century and settled in Colombo as translators to the Dutch governor of Ceylon. They were probably Vea’laa’n Cheddiyaars, belonging to one of the ancient merchant guilds, as they had the title Pi’l’lai as well as held the position of chief Cheddiyaar. By their family tradition, they were strictly vegetarians. The ancestor of them who came to Ceylon was also an expert in native medicine. They have taken up Christian names, may be because it was obligatory at that time for natives in the service of the Dutch regime. But evidences show that they were keen in sticking to vegetarianism. The surname Ondaatje was probably a Dutch rendering of a Tamil name. (Based on: Herman Tieken, The Ondaatje Letters. A study undertaken by Herman Tieken on 60 letters in Tamil written by Ondaatje family members in Ceylon between 1728 and 1735 to Nicholaas Ondaatje who was banished to South Africa. This Ondaatje was well versed in Tamil, Sinhala, Dutch and Portuguese. The Nation, 14 February 2010)

Kurukka’l-madam: The resting place named after a Saiva priest; Ka’luvaagnchikkudi division, Batticaloa district

Nainaa-madama: The resting place probably built by a high-ranking person; Wennappuwa division, Puththa’lam district. Nayinaar is a respectable way of addressing a high-ranking person in Tamil. The place name seems to be a recently Sinhalicised one.

Madathu-gama: The village having a resting place; Kekirawa division, Anuradhapura district. Probably, the resting-place was already there when the village originated by the side of it. The place name seems to be a recently Sinhalicised one.

First published: Monday, 21 February 2011, 06:10