Know the Etymology: 209
Place Name of the Day: Wednesday, 19 October 2011

Koa'ra'laip-pattu

கோறளைப்பற்று
Kōṟaḷaippaṟṟu

Koa'ra'la+pattu

1. The division of chieftaincy
2. The division of a chieftain

Koaralea

(singular); Koarala (plural): Part of a province, division (Sinhala); Koaraala: The chief of a Koaralea (Sinhala); Raala: (singular); Raalalaa (plural): Husband, master, lord, term affixed to names of titles implying respect (Sinhala); Koo’ru: Division, section, part, share (Tamil, DED 1924); Kurichchi: Division (Tamil); Koottam: Administrative division (Tamil, Inscriptions); Kurampu: Limit, boundary, ridge (Tamil, DED 1772); Koa’ru: A part, portion, share in cultivation (Kannada, DED 1924); Koaru: A share, the king’s or government portion (Telugu, DED 1924); Kuravan: King, preceptor, father, an elder person (Tamil); Kuricil: Illustrious person (Tamil, DED 1782); Ku’rumpu: Petty chieftain (Tamil, DEd 1844); Kuruppu: Chief (Malayalam, DED 1844); Koa: King, great man, leadership (Tamil DED 2177)

Pattu

Also Paththu: A small administrative division, an area come under the hold of a particular authority, an area belonging to a particular environment or coming under a particular description (Eezham Tamil place names as well as an administrative term); Koayil-pattu: A parish (Eezham Tamil); Pattuwa: A small administrative division, area coming under a particular description (Sinhala, only in place names); From Pattu: (verb) To grab, seize, hold, adhere, receive; (noun): Grasp, seizure, adherence, affinity, attachment (Tamil, DED 4034); Pattu: Portion of a country consisting of many villages, a place under one’s possession (Tamil, MTL); Pattu: Land of ownership (Tamil, Inscriptions, 989 CE, 1192 CE, IPS, 123; SII, v, 301); Areas attached to a village (Tamil, Inscriptions, 1157 CE, IPS, 134); Administrative and social division (Tamil, Inscriptions, 1278 CE, 1478 CE, AVNM 6, p.33, TAS, ix, p 12-14); Koayil-pattu: Village coming under the administration of a temple (Tamil, Inscriptions, 1196 CE, SII, xvii, 684)

Koaralea means a part of a province or division in Sinhala. The plural form of the word is Koarala.

The term was often found used for the medieval but pre-colonial administrative divisions in the South of the island.

The feudal chief of a Koaralea was called Koraala.

The etymology of the term is not clear. It is also not clear whether Koaraala came from Koaralea or vice versa.

Possible Dravidian cognates Koo’ru (division) in Tamil, Koa’ru (part, share) in Kannada, Koaru (share, king’s or governments portion) in Telugu and related terms are cited in the table.

The Sinhala word also could have originated from Kuru-raala, meaning the petty chief.

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The term Pattu, in the context of Eezham Tamil place names, is used in the shades of meanings to stand for an administrative division coming under the authority of a village, temple, church etc., as well as an area belonging to a particular environmental context.

The word Pattu, as a verb, is of Tamil/ Dravidian etymology (DED 4034) and means to adhere, seize, grab etc.

In its noun form, Pattu meaning ownership of land, areas attached to a village, an administrative/ social division etc. could be widely seen especially in the Tamil inscriptions dating from 10th century CE onwards (see table).

Madras Tamil Lexicon gives a meaning that Pattu is a portion of a country consisting of many villages.

The phrase Koyil-pattu in Eezham Tamil place names was used to mean a parish coming under a church in colonial times. A surviving example is Pa’ndaththeruppu Koayil-pattu. Originally the term meant the parish coming under the church at Pa’ndaththeruppu, which included several villages. The term is still used in the name of the co-operative society of the place because the society’s operations cover several villages of the former parish.

But the usage Koayil-pattu could be seen in the Tamil inscriptions to mean a village belonging to a temple.

In the Eastern Province, many Tamil divisional names have the suffix Pattu after the names of the main villages by which the divisions have been named.

Vanni under its chieftains in colonial times had divisional names ending with the suffix Pattu as in the example of Karunaaval-pattu (the division of dark Naaval trees; parts of present Ki’linochchi and Mullaiththeevu districts).

Vanni itself was called Adangkaap-pattu, meaning the division that withstood submission (against colonial powers).

Vil-pattu (the division of natural ponds) in the Puththa’lam district is another example for Pattu meaning a division named after its environmental feature.

Pattu (paththu) and Pattuwa (Paththuwa) are cognates found used in the Sinhala place names (see examples).

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Pattu meaning ownership of land:

“இளமக்கள் பற்று குன்றியூர் நாட்டு உப்பிலிக்குடியும்”

“I’lamakka’l pattu Kun’riyoor naaddu uppilikkudiyum” (989 CE; Inscriptions of the Pudukkottai State, 1929, p123)

“கீழ் கூற்றி மூர்தியாண்டான் பற்றாய் ஐயன் மழவராயர்க்குக் காணியாய் இவர் குடுத்த நிலமும்”

“Keezh kootti moorthiyaa’ndaan pattaay aiyan mazhavaraayarkkuk kaa’niyaay ivar kuduththa nilamum” (1192 CE, South Indian Inscriptions, V, p301)

Pattu meaning land affiliated to a village:

“இவ்வூர்ப் பற்றான குடிக்காடுகளில் பூத்த வயல் குடிக்காட்டில்”

“Ivvoorp pattaana kudikkaaduka’lil pooththa vayal kudikkaaddil” (1157 CE, Inscriptions of the Pudukkottai state, 1929, p134)

Pattu meaning an area or village the administration of which come under a temple etc. (Koayil Pattu):

“இக் கோயில் பற்று பிடித்த மணலூர்”

“Ik koayil pattu pidiththa ma’naloor” (1196 CE, South Indian Inscriptions VII p1041)

Pattu meaning an administrative division:

“பழுவூர்ப் பற்றினாலும் கண்டராதித்தன் பிடகையிலும் பல பற்றிலும்”

“Pazhuvoorp pattinaalum ka’ndaraathiththan pidakaiyilum pala pattilum” (1278 CE, Aava’nam, 6, p.33)

“பண்ணங்குடி கற்குறிச்சி விக்கிரபாண்டிய நல்லூருள்ளிட்ட பற்றில்”

“Pa’n’nangkudi katku’richchi vikkirapaa’ndiya nallooru’l’lidda pattil” (1478 CE, Trivancore Archaeological Series, IX, p 12-14)

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Koa’ra’laip-pattu is a name of a division that now comprises the divisions of Vaazhaichcheanai, Vaakarai (Koa’ra’laippattu North), Polipaaynthakal (Koa’ra’laippattu South) and Oaddamaavadi (Koa’ra’laippattu West) divisions in Batticaloa district.

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Some related place names:

Pattu (Tamil):

Chempiyan-pattu: The area belonging to a person of the Chola royal family, or a person in the service of the Cholas (Chempiyan: a title of the Cholas; the term was also used by officials in the service of the Cholas, and later became a part of the personal name of descending chieftains); Vadamaraadchi East, Jaffna district

Soaran-pattu: The area belonging to Soaran (probably a personal name); Pachchilaippa’l’li division, Ki’linochchi district

Oorva’nikan-pattu: The area belonging to a merchant; Pachchilaipa’l’li division, Ki’linochchi district

Karaithu’raip-pattu: The coastal division; Also Maritime-pattu: Karaithu’raippattu division, Mullaiththeevu district

Amapalavan-pattuk-ku’lam: The tank in the area belonging to Ampalavan (a personal name); Odduchuddaan division, Mullaiththeevu district

Akkaraip-pattu: The division on the other side (of the lagoon); Akkaraippattu and Aalaiyadi-vempu divisions, Ampaa’rai district

Ea’raavoor-pattu: The division coming under the identity of Ea’raavoor village; Ea’raavoor pattu division, Batticaloa district

Ma’nmunaip-pattu: The division coming under the identity of Ma’nmunai village; Ma’nmunaippattu division, Batticaloa district

Eruvil-pattu: The division coming under the identity of Eruvil village; Eruvilpattu (Ka’lvaangnchikkudi) division, Batticaloa district

Poaratheevup-pattu: The division coming under the identity of Poaratheevu village; Poaratheevuppattu (Vellaave’li) division, Batticaloa district

Maavadip-pattu: The area belonging to Maavadi (Mango tree locality) village; Ea’raavoorpattu division, Batticaloa district

Vil-pattu: Also Vil Paththu in Tamil; Wil-patha in Sinhala: The division of ponds; Pa’l’lama division, Puththa’lam district. See column on Vilpattu

Pa’ndaththeruppu-koyil-pattu: The parish coming under the church at Pa’ndaththeruppu. The usage is now found only in the name of the co-operative society of the village; Valikaamam, Jaffna district

Karunaaval-pattu: The division of dark Naaval trees; an earlier divisional name for parts of present Ki’lnochchi and Mullaiththeevu districts.

Meal-pattu: The upper division; an earlier divisional name for parts of present Mullaiththeevu and Vavuniyaa districts

Panangkaamap-pattu: The division coming under the central place Panang-kaamam (the village of palmyra trees); an earlier divisional name for parts of Vavuniyaa, Mullaiththeevu and Mannaar districts.

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Pattu/ Pattuwa (Sinhala):

Diya-pattu-gama: The village in the watery sector; Agalawatta division, Kalutara district

Haris-pattuwa: The sector of (natural) obstruction; Harispattuwa division, Kandy district. Haras: (adjective) cross, transverse; Haras-kapanawaa: To stand across; Haras-karanawaa: To obstruct, to place across; Haras-kerima: Obstruction, placing across (Sinhala). The mountain ranges of Hari-pattuwa division lying across northwest of Kandy, obstructed or protected entrance into the Kingdom of Kandy in the past

Udis-pattuwa: The upper division; Medadumbara division, Kandy district

Elaya-pattuwa: (probably) The division for goat (grazing); N. Palatha Central division, Anuradhapura district; Ela: Goat (Sinhala); Eazhakam: Goat (Tamil)

Bathgam-pattuwa: The division having villages of coolies or hired labourers; Hingurakgoda division, Polonnaruwa district. Bat: Boiled or cooked rice (Sinhala); Bata: Boiled or cooked rice, daily hire or ration of a soldier or cooly (Sinhala); Patam: Cooked rice (Tamil, DED 3907). The daily wages in the past were paid in terms of cooked rice.

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Korala/ Korale (Sinhala):

Korala-wella: The forest or paddy field belonging to a Koarala chieftain; Moratuwa division, Colombo district

Korala-ima: The (village at the) boundary of the division; Horana division, Kalutara district

Koralaya-gama: The village of the chieftain; Rasnayakapura division, Kurunegala district

Ganga-ihala-korale: The division above the river; A division adjacent to Mahaweli Ganga River, Kandy district

KFG & G Korale: A division in Kandy district

Ambanganga-korale: The division of Ampanganga River; A division, Matale district

Korale-gama: The village of the chieftain; Thawalama division, Galle district

Korale-gedara: The house of the chieftain; Mallawapitiya division, Kurunegala district

First published: Wednesday, 19 October 2011, 20:12