Know the Etymology: 244
Place Name of the Day: Monday, 30 October 2017

Vaṭali-yaṭaippu, Teṉṉam-piḷḷai-yaṭaippu, Pūtaṉ-aṭaippu, Paḷḷaṉ-aṭaippu, Nuṇacai-yaṭaippu, Kottaṭaippu

வடலியடைப்பு, தென்னம்பிள்ளையடைப்பு, பூதனடைப்பு, பள்ளனடைப்பு, நுணசையடைப்பு, கொத்தடைப்பு
Vaṭali-yaṭaippu, Teṉṉam-piḷḷai-yaṭaippu, Pūtaṉ-aṭaippu, Paḷḷaṉ-aṭaippu, Nuṇacai-yaṭaippu, Kottaṭaippu

Vaṭai+aṭaippu
Teṉṉai+am+piḷḷai+aṭaippu
Pūtaṉ+aṭaippu
Paḷḷaṉ+aṭaippu
Nuṇacai+aṭaippu
Kottu+aṭaippu

The enclosure of young palmyra palms

The enclosure of young coconut palms

The enclosure of land owned by a person named Pūtaṉ; or the land left in the custody of a person named Pūtaṉ

The enclosure of land owned by a man of Paḷḷar community; or the land left in the custody of a man of Paḷḷar community

The land attached to the place called Nuṇacai

The land leased out to service families attached to a feudal lord or temple; or (The place/ living quarters) of the service families attached to a feudal lord or temple

Aṭaippu1	an enclosure of land or a land of defined boundaries that has an owner but usually found vacant or found with a grove etc., as in Neruñci-aṭaippu and Māvaṭaippu; a reserved land, as in Vēṭṭai-aṭaippu (Eezham Tamil place names, especially Jaffna usage); enclosed land (Tamil inscription, 1227 CE, TAS, viii, p. 37-38); enclosure, fence, shutting, closing (Tamil, MTL, DED 83); Aṭai: (verb) to shut, close, obstruct, lock, imprison (Tamil, DED 83); cognates in 18 Dravidian languages including Brahui
Aṭaippu2	a land entrusted, leased out or left in the custody of an individual or a community (Eezham Tamil place names, especially Jaffna usage; Tamil inscription, 1125 CE, SII, xvii, 601); lease (Tamil, DED 79); Aṭai: (verb) to lease, entrust, bestow, obtain, get, enjoy (Tamil, DED 79); cognates in 11 Dravidian languages
Aṭaippu3	a land that is attached to a place (Eezham Tamil place names, especially Jaffna usage; Tamil inscription, 1300 CE, SII, v, 287); Aṭu: (verb) to be next, come in contact with, seek protection, join, join together (Tamil, DED 79)
Aṭaippu4	a person, community or people who are attached to a lord, temple etc. (Eezham Tamil place names, especially Jaffna usage; Tamil inscription, 1154 CE, SII, xvii, 657); Aṭu: (verb) to be next, come in contact with, seek protection, join, join together (Tamil, DED 79); Aṭai-kuṭi: tenants, people attached to a lord, a community attached to another community and work for it (Tamil, inscription, 1014 CE, SII, ii, 63, 94)
Vaṭali	a young palmyra palm, usage mostly seen in Eezham Tamil and in Tirunelvēli dialect of Tamil Nadu; "Iḷam-paṉai" (Tamil, MTL, Winslow, Kathiraiverpillai); a young palmyra palm not more than six feet high (Tamil, Tirunelvēli, Madras District Gazetteers, Tinnevelly, Volume I, 1917, p. 307); Viṭali: variation of Vaṭali, a young palmyra palm (Tamil, Tirunelvēli dialect, Putumaippittaṉ, usage seen in the short story, "Kayiṟṟaravu" 1948); Etymology 1: probably related to Vaṭu, Vaṭi: tender, unripe, "Piñcu", as in Mā-vaṭu meaning tender mango (Tamil, MTL, Akanāṉūṟu, 29: 5-7; Cūṭāmaṇi, 4: 51); Viṭalai: a tender coconut (Tamil, DED 5392); a young person, aged between 16 and 30 (Tamil, MTL); a young hero (Tamil, Caṅkam diction, Akanāṉūṟu, 7: 12; 237: 14); a young bull (Tami, MTL); Viṭali: a girl of 12 years of age (Tamil, MTL, note Peṇṇai meaning palmyra come from Peṇ, meaning woman); Etymology 2: probably from Maṭal: palmyra leaf, stem of palmyra leaf (Tamil, DED 4663, Kuṟuntokai, 177: 3; 182: 1): Maṭal > Maṭali: one that has Maṭal; Maṭali > Vaṭali (M/ V change in possible as in Vāṉam/ Māṉam in Tamil and as in Vinna/ Minna in Sinhala); Leaves and leaf-stems would only be found in a young palmyra palm
Teṉṉampiḷḷai	young coconut tree (Tamil, MTL); Teṅkam-piḷḷai: young coconut tree (Tamil, inscription, 1202 CE, SII, viii, 151); Teṉṉai+am+piḷḷai/ Teṅku+am+piḷḷai; Teṉṉai: coconut tree (Tamil, DED 3408, Piṅkalam, 9: 100); Teṉ: coconut tree (Tamil, DED 3408, Cūṭāmaṇi, 9: 12); Teṅku: coconut tree (Tamil, DED 3408, Puṟanāṉūṟu, 61: 9; Porunarāṟṟuppaṭai, 208; Perumpāṇāṟṟuppaṭai, 364; Paṭṭiṉappālai, 16; Patiṟṟuppattu, 13: 7); Tēṅ-kāy: coconut (Tamil, DED 3408); cognates in 8 Dravidian languages; Etymology 1: from sweetness; Tēm: sweetness (Tamil, DED 3268a); Tēn: honey (Tamil, DED 3268b); Etymology 2: from its habitat in the extreme southern parts of South Asia; Teṉ, Teṉṉam: south, southern region (Tamil, DED 3449, Puṟanāṉūṟu, 33: 7); Piḷḷai: child, youth, son, daughter, young of some animals, birds and plants (Tamil, DED 4198, Puṟanāṉūṟu, 380: 13; Tolkāppiyam, 27: 11; 27: 24; Kuṟuntokai, 92: 2-5); cognates in 14 Dravidian languages including Brahui; Piḷ: tender beauty of a child (Tamil, DED 4198); Pīḷ: embryo, embryo of an ear of corn, tender ears of corn (Tamil, DED 4198, Akanāṉūṟu, 243: 6; Naṟṟiṇai, 251: 9; Puṟanāṉūṟu, 120: 6; Nālaṭiyār, 2: 10; Piṅkalam, 9: 331); Pīḻ: term for youthfulness (Tamil, Tivākaram, 8: 204); Pila, Piḷā: young of any animal, sometimes applied to a young person, "Pẹṭiyā" (Sinhala, Sorata, Clough)
Pūtaṉ	a personal name (commonly seen in old generation personal names, as in Pūtat-tampi-mutaliyār; seen in many personal names of poets as well as kings, as in Putaṉ-tēvaṉār, Pūtap-pāṇṭiyaṉ; Tamil, Caṅkam diction, Kuṟuntokai, 343; Akanāṉūṟu, 25); related to Pūtam: God (Tamil, Caṅkam diction, Naṟṟiṇai, 192: 9); five elements, spirit, demon, monster, guardian deities, attendants of Siva (Tamil, usages seen since Caṅkam times); Pūtava-rāyar, Pūta-rācar, Pūta-nātar, Pūtēsvarar: a deity seen in Jaffna (as in temple names in Nallūr, Mayiliṭṭi, Kaitaṭi, Tuṉṉālai, Tirunelnēli etc.); Bhūta: any being (Sanskrit, Rig Vedic, CDIAL 9552); spirit, demon (Sanskrit, Gṛihya Sutras, CDIAL 9552): nature, supernatural being, demon (Pali, CDIAL 9552)
Paḷḷaṉ	a man of the Paḷḷar community (Tamil, MTL); Paḷ+aṉ: masculine singular word-form the root Paḷ: the community of Paḷḷar: Paḷ+ar: a peasant tribe of the southern parts of Tamil Nadu, supposed to be a change of Maḷḷar; a low dependent caste employed in husbandry etc., under their feudal lords (Tamil, Winslow, inscription, 1300 CE, IPS, 550); tillers, "Uḻavar" (Tamil, Kathiraiverpillai); in Jaffna it is used with its grammatical change as Paṭ-kuṭi (Tamil, Winslow) Paḷ, Paḷḷu: a dramatic poem dealing with the life of Paḷḷar (Tamil, MTL); a kind of drama in which those of the Paḷḷar caste form most of the characters (Tamil, Winslow); in this genre of late medieval literature Paḷḷar are shown as a caste of agricultural workers attached to landlords (some Ezham Tamil examples are Ñāṉap-paḷḷu, Katirai-malaip-paḷḷu and Paṟāḷai Vināyakar Paḷḷu); Paḷḷi, Paḷḷatti, Paḷḷacci: a woman of the Paḷḷar community (Tamil, MTL, the first one is noted as Tirunelvēli usage and the last one is cited from Jaffna Dictionary); Paḷḷi: a community that was engaged in cultivation and was functioning as a guild (Tamil, inscription, 1057 CE, TAMARAI, p. 54-56); the community of Vaṉṉiyar, i.e., Paṭaiyācci (Tamil, MTL); Etymology 1: probably from the landscape of work; Paḷḷam: low land (Tamil, DED 4016); water body, such as pond, stream, ditch etc. (Tamil, Caṅkam usage, Kuṟuntokai, 276: 2); Paḷḷamu: low ground, wet land, wet crop (Telugu, DED 4016); cognates in 10 Dravidian languages; Paḷḷak-kāṭu: low dry-cultivation field (Tamil, MTL); Paḷḷak-kāl: low wet-cultivation field (Tamil, MTL); Paḷḷi: a village of the agricultural tract (Tamil, Cūṭāmaṇi, 5: 40); Etymology 2: probably through M/ P change from, Maḷḷar: cultivators, tillers (Tami, Caṅkam diction, Puṟanāṉūṟu, 399: 20; Tivākaram, 2: 139); soldiers, martial chiefs (Tamil, Caṅkam diction, Akanāṉūṟu, 185: 7; Tivākaram, 2: 108); Maḷḷal, Maḷḷam: strength (Tamil, Tivākaram, 8: 65; Piṅkalam, 7: 3); probably related to Mal (DED 4730)
Nuṇacai	a place in Mātakal, Jaffna; name coming from Nuṇā trees (see column 196)
Kottu	a batch or families of bonded labourers attached to a feudal lord, temple etc. (Tamil, inscription, 1164 CE, SII, iii, 120; 1422 CE, SII, v, 762); families of dancing women attached to a temple (Tamil, MTL); bunch, cluster, assembly, family (Tamil, DED 2092). See column 33

The component Aṭaippu coming in Eezham Tamil place names is found used in varied shades of meanings: an enclosure of land, a land entrusted or leased out, a land attached to a place or a service community attached to a feudal lord.

The first meaning corresponds to Aṭai as a verb meaning to shut (DED 83) and the other three meanings are related to Aṭai as a verb meaning to entrust or Aṭu as a verb meaning to be next (DED 79). See the relevant boxes, usage examples and place name examples.

* * *

Aṭaippu as an enclosure of land:

"அருளாளப் பெருமாள் அடைப்பு நிலம் இரண்டு மாவுக்கும்" (Tamil inscription, 1227 CE, TAS, viii, p. 37-38)

"Aruḷāḷap perumāḷ aṭaippu nilam iraṇṭu māvukkum" (Tamil inscription, 1227 CE, TAS, viii, p. 37-38)

To the two Mā measures of land enclosure belonging to Aruḷālap Perumāḷ


Aṭaippu as an entrusted land:

"நாங்களும் எங்கள் வற்கத்தாரும் எங்களுக்கு அடைப்பான நிலமும்" (Tamil inscription, 1125 CE, SII, xvii, 601)

"Nāṅkaḷum eṅkaḷ vaṟkattārum eṅkaḷukku aṭaippāṉa nilamum" (Tamil inscription, 1125 CE, SII, xvii, 601)

We, the people of our clan, and the land entrusted with us


Aṭaippu as an attached place:

"நானூற்றைஞ்சு மாக்காணியும் இதுக்கடைப்பான சுந்தரபாண்டிய நல்லூருங் காடுகளும்" (Tamil inscription, 1300 CE, SII, v, 287)

"Nāṉūṟṟaiñcu mākkāṇiyum itukkaṭaippāṉa cuntarapāṇṭiya nallūruṅ kāṭukaḷum" (Tamil inscription, 1300 CE, SII, v, 287)

The 405 Mākkāṇi measure of land, and the Cuntara-pāṇṭiya-nallūr village and the forests attached to this land


Aṭaippu as a tenant or a person attached to a lord, temple etc:

"இந் நாயனார் குடிமக்களுக்கு அடைப்பு தாயிலுநல்ல வேளானும்" (Tamil inscription, 1154, SII, xvii, 657)

"In nāyaṉār kuṭimakkaḷukku aṭaippu tāyilunalla vēḷāṉum" (Tamil inscription, 1154, SII, xvii, 657)

Tāyilunalla Vēḷāṉ who belongs to the tenants (of the lands) of this deity (temple)


Aṭai-kuṭi as tenants or as service communities:

"இவர்கள் உறவு முறையாய் அடை குடிகளானாரும் இவர்கள் அடைக்குடிகளுந்" (Tamil inscription, 1014 CE, SII, ii, 63, 94)

"Ivarkaḷ uṟavu muṟaiyāy aṭai kuṭikaḷāṉārum ivarkaḷ aṭaikkuṭikaḷun" (Tamil inscription, 1014 CE, SII, ii, 63, 94)

Those who have become tenants through relationship to these people (the original tenants) and the people of the service communities attached to these people

* * *

Vaṭali is a term commonly used in Eezham Tamil to mean a very young palmyra palm. Except in the southernmost districts, the usage is not common in Tamil Nadu.

The Tinnavelly (Tirunelvēli) Gazetteer of 1917, notes Vaṭali as one of the classes of palmyra palm, in classifying and assessing palmyra palms for taxation. The following were the classes:

Paruvap-paṉai: a female palmyra palm, which has been tapped

Kāyp-paṉai: a female palmyra palm, which has not been tapped but bears fruit

Kaṭṭup-paṉai: a male palmyra palm, which has been tapped

Ōlaiveṭṭup-paṉai: a palmyra palm of either sex, which has hitherto served no purpose but to provide leaves

Vaṭali: a young palmyra palm, not more than six feet high [This has been exempted from taxation]

The form Viṭali is found used in Putumaippittaṉ's Tirunelvēli-background short stories.

* * *

Usage of Vaṭali in Eezham Tamil:

"வடலி வளர்த்துக் கள்ளுக் குடித்தல்" (Saying in Eezham Tamil)

"Vaṭali vaḷarttuk kaḷḷuk kuṭittal" (Saying in Eezham Tamil)

Growing a young palmyra palm thinking of getting toddy from it [A young palmyra palm would take decades to reach the toddy-tapping stage; the saying is figuratively used in contexts such as, grooming a girl from her very young age in order to marry her]


Usage example of Viṭali in Tirunelvēli dialect of Tamil:

"அது விடலிப் பனை. சற்றுத் தாழ்வாக இருந்ததனால் நிழலும் சுமாராக இருந்தது. […] இந்தப் பனை, இந்தப் பன விடலியெல்லாம் என் பிரக்ஞைக்குள்பட்டது. இது முளைத்தது எனக்குத் தெரியும்" (புதுமைப்பித்தன், கயிற்றரவு, 1948)

"Atu viṭalip paṉai. Caṟṟut tāḻvāka iruntataṉāl niḻalum cumārāka iruntatu. […] Intap paṉai, intap paṉa viṭaliyellām eṉ pirakñaikkuḷpaṭṭatu. Itu muḷaittatu eṉakkut teriyum" (Putumaippittaṉ, Kayiṟṟaravu, 1948)

* * *

Vaṭu and Vaṭi meaning tender stage:

"மாவின் நறு வடி போல" (அகநானூறு, 29: 5-7)

"Māviṉ naṟu vaṭi pōla" (Akanāṉūṟu, 29: 5-7)

Like the fragrant tender fruit of Mango


"வடுவும் பிஞ்சும்…காய் ஆம்" (சூடாமணி, 4: 51)

"Vaṭuvum piñcum…kāy ām" (Cūṭāmaṇi, 4: 51)

Vaṭu, Piñcu…[etc] mean tender fruit

* * *


Maṭal as palmyra leaf:

"மன்றல் அம் பெண்ணை மடல் சேர் வாழ்க்கை அன்றில்" (குறுந்தொகை, 177: 3-4)

"Maṉṟal am peṇṇai maṭal cēr vāḻkkai aṉṟil" (Kuṟuntokai, 177: 3-4)

The Aṉṟil birds that live in the leaves of the plamyra palm standing by the village hall


Maṭal as palmyra leaf-stem:

"விழுத் தலைப் பெண்ணை விளையல் மா மடல்" (குறுந்தொகை, 182: 1)

"Viḻut talaip peṇṇai viḷaiyal mā maṭal" (Kuṟuntokai, 182: 1)

The big leaf-stem, matured on the high head of a palmyra palm

* * *

The form Teṉṉai appears in Tamil usages after c. 10th century CE (Piṅkalam, 9: 100), but the form Teṅku for coconut palm is found used in Tamil since Caṅkam times.

Usage examples of Teṅku and Teṉṉai:

"தெங்கு படு வியன் பழம்" (புறநானூறு, 61: 9)

"Teṅku paṭu viyaṉ paḻam" (Puṟanāṉūṟu, 61: 9)

The big fruits of coconut palm


"…தென்னையும் தெங்கே" (பிங்கலம், 9: 100)

"…Teṉṉaiyum teṅkē" (Piṅkalam, 9: 100)

Teṉṉai means Teṅku


Teṅkam-piḷḷai:

"பிரமதேசத்து தோப்பிலே 150 தெங்கம்பிள்ளை வைகையாலும்" (Tamil inscription, 1202 CE, SII, viii, 151)

"Piramatēcattu tōppilē 150 teṅkampiḷḷai vaikaiyālum" (Tamil inscription, 1202 CE, SII, viii, 151)

In planting 150 young coconut palms in the grove of the Brahmin settlement


* * *

Piḷḷai meaning the young one of a plant:

"பிள்ளை குழவி கன்றே போத்து எனக் கொள்ளவும் அமையும் ஓர் அறிவு உயிர்க்கே" (தொல்காப்பியம், 27: 24)

"Piḷḷai kuḻavi kaṉṟē pōttu eṉak koḷḷavum amaiyum ōr aṟivu uyirkkē" (Tolkāppiyam, 27: 24)

The terms Piḷḷai, Kuḻavi, Kaṉṟu and Pōttu could also be applied in the case of the young ones of life having only one sense [i.e., plants that have only one sense, the sense of feeling; in usage, Piḷḷai is applied only to coconut and areca nut]

* * *

The usage of the term Paḷḷar as agricultural workers appears in Tamil inscriptions after c. 1300 CE.

Paḷḷi as an agricultural caste-guild, attached to an umbrella agrarian guild called Cittiramēḻi, appears in Tamil inscriptions of 11th century CE.

The term Maḷḷar was in use in the Caṅkam times for tillers as well as for soldiers. The term Paḷḷi/ Paṭaiyācci had a similar usage later.

* * *

Usage examples of Maḷḷar, Paḷḷi, and Paḷḷar:

"மள்ளர் மள்ளன்" (புறநானூறு, 399: 20)

"Maḷḷar Maḷḷaṉ" (Puṟanāṉūṟu, 399: 20)

The best cultivator amng the cultivators


"பள்ளிகள் நாடு செவான் சித்திர்மேழினாடு உடையாநேன்" (Tamil inscription, 1057 CE, TAMARAI, p. 54-56)

"Paḷḷikaḷ nāṭu cevāṉ cittirmēḻiṉāṭu uṭaiyānēṉ" (Tamil inscription, 1057 CE, TAMARAI, p. 54-56)

Myself, belonging to Cittiramēḻi guild and conducting the affairs of the assembly of Paḷḷikaḷ (cultivator community]


"புறஞ் சேரியில் பள்ளற்கும் பிடாகைகளில் இருக்கும் பள்ளற்கும்" (Tamil inscription, c. 1300 CE, IPS, 550)

"Puṟañ cēriyil paḷḷaṟkum piṭākaikaḷil irukkum paḷḷaṟkum" (Tamil inscription, c. 1300 CE, IPS, 550)

To the Paḷḷar of the outside hamlets and to the Paḷḷar living within the limits of the village


"பள்ளடியாரில் வளத்தி மகள் மன்றி" (Tamil inscription, 1369 CE, IPS, 459)

"Paḷḷaṭiyāril vaḷatti makaḷ maṉṟi" (Tamil inscription, 1369 CE, IPS, 459)

Among the Paḷḷar servants, Maṉṟi, the daughter of Vaḷatti [note the practice of tracing lineage from mother]

* * *

Vaṭaliyaṭaippu is a place in Valikamam Southwest division of Jaffna district.

Teṉṉampiḷḷaiyaṭaippu is a locality in Kaṭṭuṭai in Valikamam North division of Jaffna district (V. Almanac, 2013-14, p. 99).

Pūtaṉ-aṭaippu is a locality in Kārainakar West in Karainagar division of Jaffna district.

Paḷḷaṉ-aṭaippu is a locality in Mātakal in Valikamam Southwest division of Jaffna district (Mātakal Māṉmiyam, 2015, p. 14)

Nuṇacai-aṭaippu is a locality in Mātakal in Valikamam Southwest division of Jaffna district (Mātakal Māṉmiyam, 2015, p. 14)

Kottaṭaippu is a locality in Puttūr in Valikamam East division of Jaffna district (Balasundaram, p. 229)

* * *

Some related place names:

Aṭaippu:

Vētaraṭaippu: Vētar+aṭaippu: Karainagar, Jaffna. Vētar: Vētiyar: Brahmin?

Paruttiyaṭaippu: Parutti+aṭaippu: Karampaṉ. Kayts, Jaffna; Iṇuvil, Valikamam South, Jaffna; (the latter noted by Balasundaram, p. 101). Parutti: cotton, cotton shrub

Neruñciyaṭaippu: Neruñci+aṭaippu: Karainagar, Jaffna (K. Almanac, 2016-17, p. 94). Neruñci: cow's thorn

Māvaṭaippu: Mā+aṭaippu: Polikaṇṭi, (Balasundram, p. 173). Mā: mango trees

Ciṟṟaṭaippu: Ciṟu+aṭaippu: Tallaiya-pulam, Tuṉṉālai (Balasundaram, p. 259). Ciṟu: small

Vēṭṭaiyaṭaippu: Vēṭṭai+aṭaippu: Thunukkai, Mullaiththeevu. Vēṭṭai: hunting

* * *

Vaṭali:

Vaṭalik-kuḷam: Kuchchaveli, Trincomalee; Aṉalaitīvu, Kayts, Jaffna (V. Almanac, 2013-14, p. 102)

* * *

Teṉṉai:

Teṉṉai-marattaṭi: Karaithuraippattu, Mullaiththeevu

Teṉṉai-maravaṭi: also Teṉṉai-mara-vāṭi: Kuchchaveli, Trincomalee

* * *

Pūtam:

Pūtar-maṭam: a locality in Kōppāy, Valikāmam East, Jaffna (Balasundaram, p. 252)

* * *

Paḷḷaṉ:

Paḷḷaṉ-kōṭṭai: Nanaddan, Mannar

Paḷḷap-pāti: Alvāy, Vadamaradchi Southwest, Jaffna (Balasundaram, p. 266). Pāti: part

Paḷḷak-kuḷam: Kuchchaveli, Trincomalee

Pallaṅ-kulama: Rambewa, Anuradhapura

* * *


Revised: Monday, 30 October 2017, 18:30

First published: Sunday, 21 April 2013, 07:21