Know the Etymology: 200
Place Name of the Day: Friday, 01 April 2011

Vi'laan, Divula-pitiya, Jool-pallama

விளான், திவுலபிட்டிய, ஜூல்பல்லம
Viḷāṉ, Divulapiṭiya, Jūlpallama

Vi’laan
Divul+pitiya
Jool+pallama

The place of wood apple trees
The high ground of wood apple trees
The low ground of wood apple trees

Vi’laa	Also, Vi’lam, Vi’lavu, Vi’lari, Vi’laaththi, Ve’l’lil, Ve’l’liyam: The wood apple, Feronia elephantum (Tamil, Dravidian Etymological Dictionary 5509); Ve’l, Ve’l’lai: White (Tamil, DED 5497); Vi’laan: Means ‘of Vi’laa’ (Eezham Tamil place names)
Divul	Also Jool: Wood apple, Feronia elephantum (Sinhala); Dimbul: Wood apple, Feronia elephantum, also a species of ficus, Ficus glomerata or Attikaa (Sinhala); Divul-mæliyam, Divul-laatu: The gum from the trunk of wood apple; Jool-gaha, Jool-gediya: Wood apple (Sinhala); Juvvi-mara: Wavy-leaved fig tree, Ficus infectoria (Kannada, DED 2697); Juvvi: Ficus tsiela (Telugu, DED 2697); Juvi: Pipal, Ficus religiosa (Kolami, DED 2697); Joo-maara: Ficus species (Gond, DED 2697); Cuvann-aal: Ficus infectoria (Malayalam, DED 2697); Chuvalai: Pipal (Tamil, DED 2697); Chuvi: White fig, Ficus infectoria, stone-fig, Ficus gibbosa parasitica (Tamil, DED 2697); Chital: White ant (Tamil, DED 1548); S’vit, S’veta: White (Sanskrit). J/ Ch/ S and D/ T interchange in Sinhala and Prakrits. Ex: Jambu > Damba
Pitiya	High ground, bank, plain (Sinhala place names); Piddi, Puddy, Thiddy, Iddi, Chiddi: High ground, bank (Tamil). See column on Kurumpachiddi for etymology.
Pallama	Low ground, hollow, valley, descent of a hill, declivity (Sinhala); Pa’l’lam: Lowness, Low ground, lowness, valley, ditch, dimble, pond, stream in a valley (Tamil, DED 4016). See column on Pallegama for etymology.

Vi’laa in Tamil and Malayalam is wood apple or elephant apple, Feronia elephantum of the Rutaceae family.

The other Tamil cognates of Vi’laa are Vi’lam, Vi’lavu, Vi’lari, V’laaththi, Ve’l’lil and Ve’l’liyam (Dravidian Etymological Dictionary 5509).

All the said Tamil names of the wood apple tree that bears white fruits etymologically derived from the root Ve’l and Ve’l’lai, meaning white in Tamil/ Dravidian (DED 5497).

The same feature could be seen in the Sinhala names Divul, Dimbul and Jool for wood apple. The Sinhala names also refer to the white fruit. J and D interchange in Sinhala and Prakrit as in Jambu/ Dambu. Divul and Jool are of the same etymology and they are related to S’vit/ S’veta, meaning white in Sanskrit. Note how etymologically related terms are found in Dravidian languages too, in which Juvi, Joo, Chuvi etc are related to white, milky trees of the fig family (DED 2697). Also note that Dimbul in Sinhala itself means a tree of the fig family other than wood apple. (See table above for details).

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Wood apple is a wild tree and is a part of the natural vegetation in the island. It is also one of the sacred trees in Tamil and Sinhala beliefs.

Even though the fruits, taken mixed with jaggery, are a favourite of many, the trees are not normally grown in house premises, as it is believed that deities and spirits reside in the tree. The trees are commonly found in the wilds, thickets and in vacant land. Occasionally they may be found in the corners of the backyard.

Like the leaves of Vilvam, the leaves of the wood apple tree are also considered auspicious in the worship of Shiva.

All parts of the tree are used in native medicine. The gum obtained from the stem of the tree is useful in fixing paintings.

A large number of place names in both Sinhala and Eezham Tamil, have the name of the tree as a component, reflecting the popularity of the tree in the natural vegetation of the island.

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Vi’laan is a place in the Valikaamam North division of Jaffna district. It borders the villages A’laveddi, I’lavaalai and Pandatheruppu. Two localities of the place are respectively called Periya-vi’laan (the larger part of Vi’laan) and Chi’ru-vi’laan (the smaller part of Vi’laan). Vi’laan simply means ‘the place of Vi’laa’ (wood apple).

Divula-pitiya headquarters a division after its name in the Gampaha district. There is another Divula-pitiya in Kesbewa division, Colombo district.

Jool-pallama is in Tissamaharama division, Hambantota district. The usage of the term Jool is mostly found in the place names of the extreme south.

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Some related place names:

Vi’laa:

Vi’laa-veddai: The expanse of wood apple trees; Ka’ndaava’lai division, Ki’linochchi district

Periya-vi’laang-kuzhi: The big waterhole of wood apple trees, or the larger settlement of the waterhole of wood apple trees; Maanthai West division, Mannaar district

Chi’ru-vi’laang-kuzhi: The small waterhole of wood apple trees or the smaller settlement of the waterhole of wood apple trees; Maanthai West division, Mannaar district

Vi’laaththi-ku’lam: The tank of wood apple trees; Maanthai West division, Mannaar district; Madu division, Mannaar district; Musali division, Mannaar district

Kal-vi’laan: The rocky place of wood apple trees; Thu’nukkaay division, Mullaiththeevu district

Kolla-vi’laang-ku’lam: The tank of wood apple trees of the ironsmiths; Maanthai West division, Mannaar district

Vanni-vi’laang-ku’lam: The tank of wood apple trees in the Vanni region or the tank of Vanni and Vi’laa trees; Maanthai East division, Mullaiththeevu district

Vi’laang-ka’ndal: The marsh of wood apple trees; Puthukkudiyiruppu division, Mullaiththeevu district

Vi’laaththi-moaddai: The natural pond of wood apple trees; Puthukkudiyiruppu division, Mullaiththeevu district; Karathu’raippattu division, Mullaiththeevu district

Vi’laaththi-vedduvaan: The expanse of wood apple trees; Puthukkudiyiruppu division, Mullaiththeevu district

Vi’laa-vedduvaan: The expanse of wood apple trees; Ma’nmunai West division, Batticaloa district

Vi’laaththik-ku’lam: The tank of wood apple trees; Oddusuddaan division, Mullaiththeevu district; Madu division, Mannaar district;

Vi’laang-kaaddu-ve’li: The open space of the jungle of wood apple trees; Koa’ra’laippattu division, Batticaloa district

Vi’laan-thoaddam: The grove or garden of wood apple trees; Vellaave’li division, Batticaloa district

Vi’laavoadai: The pond of wood apple trees; Ka’ndaava’lai division, Ki’linochchi district

Varuththalai-vi’laan: The place of wood apple trees in the catchment area; Valikaamam North Division, Jaffna district. Varuththalai < Varaththu-thalai: the catchment area. This is in fact a locality from where the major flood utlet of Jaffna, the Vazhukkaiyaa’ru originates.

Vasaa-vi’laan, Vayaa-vi’laan: The meaning of the prefix is not clear; Valikaamam North divistion, Jaffna district

Ve’l’liyam-paththai: The thicket of wood apple trees; A’laveddi, Valikaamam North division, Jaffna district

Vi’laanai: The place of wood apple trees; Kaarainakar Island, Jaffna District

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Divul:

Divulle-pitiya: The high ground of wood apple trees; Kotavehera district, Kurunegala district Divul-gas-kotuva: The enclosure of wood apple trees; Galewala division, Matale district

Divul-gas-pathana: The thicket of wood apple trees; Laggala-Pallegama division, Matale district

Maha-divul-wewa: The big tank of wood apple trees; Morawewa division, Trincomalee district; Ambanpola division, Kurunegala district; Medawachchiya division, Anuradhapura district; Kekirawa division, Anuradhapura district

Gane-divul-wewa: Galgamuwa division, Kurunegala district

Divul-gane: Ehetuwewa division, Kurunegala district

Divul-wewa: Ganewatta division, Kurunegala district; Panduwasnuwara division, Kurunegala district; Anamaduwa division, Puththa’lam district; Kahatagastigiliya division, Anuradhapura district

Divula-kele: The jungle of wood apple trees; Wariyapola division, Kurunegala district

Divul-gas-pitiya: The high ground of wood apple trees; Bamunukutuwa division, Kurunegala district

Divul-gaha-kotuwa: The enclosure of wood apple trees; Alawwa division, Kurunegala district

Divul-kumbura: The paddy fields of wood apple trees; Polgahawela division, Kurunegala district

Gala-divul-wewa: The rocky place of the tank of wood apple trees; Nochchiyagama division, Anuradhapura district

Eliya-divul-wewa: The tank of the stream in the locality of wood apple trees; Thalawa division, Anuradhapura district

Kele-divul-wewa: The tank of wood apple trees in the jungle; Thalawa division, Anuradapura district

Divulan-kadawala: The pass of wood apple trees; Midirigiriya division, Polonnaruwa district

Divula-pelessa: the place of wood apple trees; Mahiyangana division, Badulla district

Divilana-gama: The village of wood apple trees; Uhana division, Ampaa’rai district Divulana: The place of wood apple trees; Thamankaduwa district, Polonnaruwa district

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Dimbul:

Dimbul-deniya: The land of wood apple trees; Divulapitiya division, Gampaha district

Dimbul-gamuwa: The village of wood apple trees; Pallepole division, Matale district

Dimbul-goda: The bank or hill of wood apple trees; Ukuwela division, Matale district; Angunakolapellessa division, Hambantota district

Dimbul-kumbura: The paddy field of wood apple trees; Angunakolapelessa division, Hambantota district

Dimbul-doowa: The water-surrounded place having wood apple trees; Hikkaduwa division, Galle district

Dimbula-gala: The rocky hill of wood apple trees; Dimbulagala division, Polonnaruwa district

Dimbulana: The place of wood apple trees; Uva-Paranagama division, Badulla district

Dimbula-mure: The surrounding of wood apple trees, or the woodapple trees that are plucked during the season; Wellawaya division, Moneragala district. Mura: surrounding, encircling (Sinhala); Muttu: (verb) to surround (Tamil, DED 5018); Muttukai: Sorrounding, encircling (Tamil, DED 5018); Mure, Muraya: Season of plucking (Sinhala); Murai: turn in which something is done (Tamil, DED 5015)

Dimbul-gamuwa: The village of wood apple trees; Kegalle division, Kegalle district

Dimbul-wala: The jungle of wood apple trees; Godakawela division, Ratnapura district

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Jool:

Jool-gamuwa: The village of wood apple trees; Hambantota division, Hambantota district

Jula-mulla: The corner of wood apple trees; Angunakolapelessa division, Hambantota district

Julam-pitiya: The high ground of wood apple trees; Weeraketiya division, Hambantota district

Palle-julam-pitiya: The lower part of the plains of wood apple trees; Weeraketiya division, Hambantota district

Uda-julam-pitiya: The higher part of the plains of wood apple trees; Weeraketiya division, Hambantota district

Julangete: Embilipitiya division, Ratnapura district

First published: Friday, 01 April 2011, 22:11