Know the Etymology: 227
Place Name of the Day: Saturday, 27 October 2012

Ibbaa-wala, Ibban-wala

Ibbāwala, Ibbanwala

Ibbaa+wala
Ibban+wala

The tortoise jungle

Ibbaa

(singular); Ibboa (plural): land tortoise (Sinhala); Ippi: Shell, pearl-oyster (Tamil, DED 2535); Chippi: Shell, shell fish, coconut shell as a measure (Tamil, DED 2535); Ippi, Cippi: Oyster shell (Malayalam, DED 2535); Cippi: Coconut shell (Kannada); Coconut shell, oyster shell, pearl (Tulu, DED 2535); cippu, sippu, cimpi, cimpe, simpi, simpu, simpe: Oyster shell, mussel, cockle, a portion of the shell of a coconut, skull, a pearl oyster (Kannada, DED 2535); Cippa: A shell, (in word combinations) coconut shell, knee-pan, patella, skull, mother of pearl (Telugu, DED 2535); Ipi: Shell, conch (Gondi, DED 2535); Sippiya: Oyster shell (Sinhala); Sippiyaa: Pearl oyster (Sinhala); Sippee: Pearl oyster (Pali/ Prakrits)

Wala

also Wal, Walaan: Forest, jungle (Sinhala); Vallai: Extensive thicket, big forest (Tamil, DED 5289); Balle: Thick bush, thick jungle (Kannada, DED 5289); Ballea: A thicket, bush (Tulu, DED 5289); Vallara: Thicket (Sanskrit/ Prakrits, only in word combinations found in lexicons). Also see columns on Valveddi-thu’rai, Vella-ve’li and Murutha-wala

Ibbaa in Sinhala means a land tortoise. Ibboa is the plural form of the word.

It seems the Sinhala word for tortoise has come from its conspicuous attribute of having a shell.

The corresponding words of Dravidian etymology are Ippi in Tamil and Malayalam; Ipi in Gondi and Chippi (Tamil) as well as its various cognates in Malayalam, Kannada, Tulu and Telugu.

See table above to find how these words variously mean a shell, oyster shell, pearl oyster, coconut shell, skull etc., in the Dravidian languages.

Ippi — Cippi word formations could have come both by the loss of the initial sound as well as by the addition of it. Pali/ Prakrits have a cognate Sippee for pearl oyster, but the Dravidian Etymological Dictionary considers it as a word of Dravidian origin (entry no. 2535).

In the Sinhala place names under discussion, note the word Ibbaa for a tortoise taking the ‘An’ suffix and becoming Ibban in some instances. The application of singular masculine suffix to animals, plants and geography is a feature found widely in the Eezham Tamil place names.

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Usage examples for Ippi meaning a shell, oyster, pearl-oyster etc in Tamil:

“Thu’rai meaya ippi” (Natti’nai, 87:7)

“துறை மேய இப்பி” (நற்றிணை, 87:7)

The shells on the seashore



“Parappil pal meen ko’lpavar mukantha ippi” (Akanaanoo’ru, 296: 7-8)

பரப்பில் பல் மீன் கொள்பவர் முகந்த இப்பி (அகநானூறு, 296: 7-8)

The oysters that came in the scoop of those who catch a variety of fish in the sea



“Muthir vaar ippi muththam” (Pu’ranaanoo’ru, 53: 1)

“முதிர் வார் இப்பி முத்தம்” (புறநானூறு, 53: 1)

The pearl of the matured pearl oyster



“Ippi chuththi chippi aakum” (Thivaakara Nika’ndu, 3:212)

“இப்பி சுத்தி சிப்பி ஆகும்” (திவாகர நிகண்டு, 3:212)

Ippi and chuththi mean chippi



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Wala, Wal and Walaan are words meaning a jungle or forest in Sinhala.

Cognates such as Val, Vallai, Vellai and Vellan are widely found in Eezham Tamil place names too, meaning a thicket, jungle or forest, even though they were lost in the ordinary usage of Tamil today.

Both the Sinhala and Eezham Tamil cognates correspond to the word Vallai in old Tamil, meaning an extensive thicket or big forest. Vallai and its cognates Balle in Kannda and Ballea in Tulu are listed as words of Dravidian etymology (DED 5289). The Sanskrit/ Prakrit cognate Vallara coming in word combinations is found listed only in the lexicons.

See columns on Valveddith-thu’rai, Vella-ve’li and Murutha-wala.

Vallai, meaning forest:

“Vallai utta veay” (Kampa iraamaaya’nam, Ayoaththiyaa Kaa’ndam, 9:42)

“வல்லை உற்ற வேய்” (கம்ப இராமாயணம், அயோத்தியா காண்டம், 9:42)

The bamboo in the forest



“Kaanam, kada’ru, kaan…vallai…kaadu enap pukalvar” (Pingkala Nika’ndu 4:90)

“கானம், கடறு, கான்…வல்லை…காடு எனப் புகல்வர்” (பிங்கல நிகண்டு 4:90)

Kaanam, Kada’ru, Kaan…Vallai…etc., are words for forest.



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Ibbaa-wala is a village in the Welipitiya division of Matara district

Ibban-wala is a place in the Colombo division of Colombo district

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Some related place names:

Ibban-katuwa: The tank or reservoir found with tortoises; Galewela division, Matale district

Kiri-ibban-wewa: The reservoir found with the Kiri-ibbaa species; Savanagala division, Moneragala district. Kiri-ibbaa: fresh water burrowing turtle, Emyda Ceylonensis

Ibbaa-gamuwa: The village abounds with tortoises; Ibbaagamuwa division, Kurunegala district

First published: Saturday, 27 October 2012, 06:34