Know the Etymology: 228
Place Name of the Day: Monday, 01 May 2017

Amaṇak-kaṭṭuva, Āracci-kaṭṭuva, Pāta-kaṭṭu, Kaṭu-nāyaka

அமணக்கட்டுவ, ஆரச்சி[க்]கட்டுவ, பாத[க்]கட்டு, க[ட்]டுநாய[க்]க
Amaṇak-kaṭṭuva, Āracci-kaṭṭuva, Pāta-kaṭṭu, Kaṭu-nāyaka

Amaṇa+kaṭṭuva
Āracci+kaṭṭuva
Pāta+kaṭṭu
Kaṭu+nāyaka

The barrage dam

The house and premises of the official; or the demarcated area of the official

The low country (as opposed to the hill country)

The (place of the) area chief or clan chief

Kaṭṭuva1	singular of Kaṭṭu: dam, "Vẹvniyara" (Sinhala, Sorata); dam (Tamil, DED 1147); (verb) to tie, fasten, build, shut up, store, to fill as a tank with water (Tamil, DED 1147, MTL); cognates in 16 Dravidian languages. See columns, 30 and 170
Kaṭṭuva2	singular of Kaṭṭu: probably meaning a large house with enclosed premises or a chieftain's house, as in Āracci-kaṭṭuva (Sinhala, place name); related to Kaṭṭu: (noun) building; (verb) to build (Tamil, Kannada, DED 1147). See columns, 30 and 170
Kaṭṭuva3	singular of Kaṭṭu: government, ruling, reign, "Āńḍuva" (Sinhala, Sorata); commandment, government, regulations, fortification, protection, defence (Tamil, MTL, DED 1147); regulation, rule (Kannada, DED 1147); (verb) to tie, bind, fasten, be bound (Tamil, Kannada, DED 1147); Kaṭu-pulla: royal messenger or guard, police staff of a Disāwa, an area placed with guards (Sinhala, Sorata, Clough; Kaṭṭu-piḷḷai: Tamil). See columns, 30 and 170
Kaṭṭuva4	singular of Kaṭṭu: country, district, inhabited country, "Raṭa" (Sinhala, Sorata, Epigraphia Zeylanica IV, 269); as in Pāta-kaṭṭu: = Pāta-raṭa: the low country under the rule of the British when there was the Kingdom of Kandy in the hill country (Sinhala, Sorata); Kaṭṭala: limit or boundary, "Pramāṇaya hō Sīmāva (Sinhala, Sorata); Kaṭṭal: state of being bound, tied, surrounded (Kannada, DED 1147); Kaṭṭu: (noun) boundary, border, limits, boundary or boundary post of a territory or country (Eezham Tamil usage, as in Kaṇṭiyak-kaṭṭu); (verb) to tie, fasten, shut up (Tamil, DED 1147); to tie, bind, shut, obstruct, be bound, be stopped (Kannada, DED 1147); to tie, bind, obstruct (Telugu, DED 1147); Gaṭu, Gāṭṭū: boundary (Kuwi, DED 1147). See columns, 30 and 170
Kaṭṭuva5	singular of Kaṭṭu: a part, portion, "Koṭasa"; side, flank, tribe, class, "Pakṣaya" (Sinhala, Sorata); Kaṭṭu: (noun) section, class, part of a house, bundle, side of a mountain, social relationship, family connection; (verb) to tie, fasten; (Tamil, DED 1147, MTL, MTL appendix). See columns, 30 and 170
Kaṭu	probably, district, area or clan; equal to Kaṭṭu 4 or Kaṭṭu 5 (Sinhala, as in Kaṭu-nāyaka)
Amaṇa	also Amuṇa: dam, barrage, bund, "Āvanaṇaya" (Sinhala, Sorata, Epigraphia Zeylanica, III, 177). See column 449
Āracci	also Āracci-rāla, Aaraccila: a petty village official, officer of the rank of sergeant in the native militia of the colonial times (Sinhala, Clough); Ārañciya: news, intelligence (Sinhala, Clough); Ārāycci: research, investigation (Tamil, DED 377); from Ārāy: (verb) to investigate, examine, consider, seek (Tamil, DED 377); a combination of the words Ār: special verb standing for intensity and Āy: (verb) to search, examine etc. (Tamil, DED 368, 363); Ārāycci, Ārācci: search, examination, investigation (Malayalam, DED 377); Āray, Ārayu: (verb) to search, investigate, take care of (Kannada, DED 377); Ārekāra: a man who fosters (Kannada, DED 377); Aryekarn: head cattle-boy (Kodagu, DED 377); Ārayu, Arayu: (verb) to think, consider, examine, inquire into, know, see, observe (Telugu, DED 377) Ārekūḍu: a watchman (Telugu, DED 377); Ārāññu: investigate (Tamil, inscription, 885 CE, TAS, ii, p. 80-82); Ārācci: supervision (Tamil, inscription, 931 CE, SII, xvii, 478); Ārāñca: some thing that has been administrated (Tamil, inscription, 923 CE, SII, xix, 406); Ārācci-nāyakam: a high official of supervisory capacity in the Chola empire (Tamil, inscription, 1013 CE, SII, v, 652)
Pāta	(adjective) down, low, below, beneath, under; (noun) falling, descending, alighting (Sinhala, Clough); fall (Sanskrit, Pali, CDIAL 8052); Pat: root of words meaning to fall down, descend (Sanskrit, Monier-Williams); Pati: (verb) be low-lying as land, be depressed, sunk, sink in (Tamil, DED 3911); Pativu: depression (Tamil, DED 3911). See column 295
Nāyaka	chief, "Pradhānayā" (Sinhala, Sorata); guide, leader, chief, lord, a general, commander (Sanskrit, Monier-Williams); Nāya: a leader, guide (Sanskrit, Monier-Williams); Nayati: leads (Sanskrit, Rig Vedic, CDIAL 6965); Nayana: leading (Sanskrit, CDIAL 6697); the root is traced to Nī in Sanskrit, related to lead, guide, direct, conduct, govern (CDIAL, Monier-Williams)

On the etymology of the different shades of meaning for Kaṭṭuva/ Kaṭuva/ Kaṭṭu in Sinhala, compare the boxes on Kaṭṭuva with boxes on Kaṭṭu in Tamil (DED 1147) and related place names in column 30.

The said terms are also etymologically related to the place name components Kẹṭiya in Sinhala and Kaṭṭi/ Kaṭṭai in Tamil. See column 182 on them and also see column 170 on the relationship of Kaṭṭu with the term Kaṭṭāṭi in Tamil and Sinhala.

Kaṭu/ Kaṭuva, in some instances of Sinhala place names, especially in suffix position, seems to be a variation of Kaṭṭu/ Kaṭṭuva (see column 182). Kaṭu in its prefix form is used in other meanings, such as thorny, in many other Sinhala place names. See relevant columns.

The component Pāta coming as adjective here, comes as suffix noun in some other Sinhala place names. The etymology could be traced to both Indo-Aryan and Dravidian. See box above and column 295.

Nāyaka, meaning a chief in Sinhala, and related usages Nāyakaṉ, Nāyakkar etc. in Tamil, are of Indo-Aryan etymology.

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Āracci in Sinhala usage means a petty village official or an officer of the rank of sergeant in the native militia of the colonial times.The term seems to have gained these shades of meaning because of the investigation duties of the official. Ārañciya in Sinhala diction means news or intelligence.Both the terms are related to Ārāycci in Tamil and Malayalam, meaning research or investigation. This is a word of Dravidian etymology coming from the roots of Ār, Āy and Ārāy (DED 377, 368, 363). Cognates are found in other Dravidian languages too (see table).Ārāycci and Ārācci are used as administrative terms, meaning, investigation, supervision, audit, inquiry and administration in the Tamil inscriptions, dating from 800 CE.Ārācci also meant an official and Ārācci-nāyakam was a high official as seen in the Chola inscriptions of 10th -11th centuries CE.

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Some usage examples of Ārācci/ Ārāycci in Tamil inscriptions:

"தங்களைக் கொண்டே யாராஞ்ஞு கொள்ளக் கடவராகவும்" (885 CE, TAS, ii, p. 80-82)

"Taṅkaḷaik koṇṭē yārāññu koḷḷak kaṭavarākavum" (885 CE, TAS, ii, p. 80-82)

Let them investigate (it) by their own people 


அமுதங் காஞ்சன் ஆராச்சியில் ஆராஞ்சு (931 CE, SII; xvii, 478)

"Amutaṅ kāñcaṉ ārācciyil ārāñcu" (931 CE, SII; xvii, 478)

In the supervision of the supervisor Amutaṉ Kāñcaṉ 


"ஸ்ரீ காரியம் ஆராஞ்ச மாற பிரான்" (923 CE, SII, xix, 406)

"Śrī kāriyam ārāñca māṟa pirāṉ" (923 CE, SII, xix, 406)

The (official) Māṟa Pirāṉ who administrated the temple affairs 


"மும்முடி சோழ ப்₃ரஹ்ம மாராயன் ஆராச்சி நாயகத்து" (1013 CE, SII, v. 652)

"Mummuṭi cōḻa Brahma mārāyaṉ ārācci nāyakattu" (1013 CE, SII, v. 652)

The office of Ārācci Nāyakam (supervisor general) held by Mummuṭi Cōḻa Brahma Mārāyaṉ (a high Brahmin official of the Chola emperor)

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Amaṇak-kaṭṭuva is a place in Ipalogama division of Anuradhapura district.

Āracci-kaṭṭuva is a place as well as a divisional headquarters in Puttalam district.

Pāta-kaṭṭu was the name used to refer to the low country of the island as opposed to the hill country (Sorata)

Kaṭunāyaka is the place where Colombo's international airport is located in Katana division of Gampaha district. The locational suffix is missing in the place name.

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Some related place names:


Kaṭṭuva:

Kaṭṭuva: Negombo, Gampaha

Baraṇaṉ-kaṭṭuva: Mahakumbukkadawala, Puttalam

Ilak-kaṭṭuva: Arachchikatuwa, Puttalam

Nalladaran-kaṭṭuva: Arachchikattuva, Puttalam

Vairan-kaṭṭuva: Arachchikattuwa, Puttalam

Andanan-kaṭṭuva: Antaṇaṉ-kaṭṭu: Arachchikattuva, Puttalam. Antaṇaṉ: Brahmin (Tamil, DED 148)

Perumā-kaṭṭuva: Āṉaimaṭu. Puttalam (Puttalam OIS). Perumāḷ-kaṭṭu

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Kaṭuva: (may be a variation of Kaṭṭuva)


Ibban-kaṭuva: Galewela, Matale

Ratmal-kaṭuva: Dambulla, Matale

Hańdun-kaṭuva: Ambalantota, Hambantota

Pol-kaṭuva: Ibbagamuva, Kurunegala

Mudu-kaṭuva: Nattandiya, Puttalam

Kukul-kaṭuva: Nochchiyagama, Anuradhapura. Kukuḷu: cock, also a kind of creeper (Sinhala, Clough, Sorata)

Kōn-kaṭuva: Embilipitiya, Ratnapura

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Kaṭu: (as prefix, may be a variation of Kaṭṭu)


Kaṭu-dōra: Walallavita, Kalutara

Kaṭuvāna: Homagama, Colombo

Kaṭuva-piṭiya: Katana, Gampaha

Kaṭu-vas-goḍa: Attanagalla, Gampaha

Kaṭu-nēriya: Nattandiya, Puttalam. Nēri: dam

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Āracci:


Āracci-vatta: Minuwangoda, Gampaha

Āracci-kanda: Ambalangoda, Galle

Mahā-āracci-mulla: Alawwa, Kurunegala

Heṭṭi-āracci-gama: Giribawa, Kurunegala

Kaḷu-āracciyā-gama: Nachchaduwa, Anuradhapura

Kaḷu-āracci-goḍa: Niyagama, Galle

Mallavacci-goḍa: Walallavita, Kalutara. Probably, Mallavāracci-goḍa

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Revised: Monday, 01 May 2017, 17:10

First published: Friday, 02 November 2012, 03:49