Know the Etymology: 245
Place Name of the Day: Tuesday, 23 April 2013

Thikkam,
Tikkam-pothana

திக்கம்,
திக்கம் பொ[த்]தன
Tikkam
Tikkam-potana

Tikkam
Tikkam+potana

The land defined by title deeds
The grassland defined by title deeds

Thikkadaippu

Thikku-adaippu; Also Thikkellai: Thikku-ellai: A land, the boundaries of which are defined by title deeds (Tamil, Jaffna usage, MTL); Thikku: The eight directions, cardinal and intermediate (Tamil); protection, shelter, aid, asylum, refuge (Tamil, MTL); Dik, from Dis: Direction, region (Sanskrit, CDIAL 6339); Thikku: A medicinal herb, also called Kodu-veali, Kodu-veari or Chiththira-moolam, Ceylon leadwort, Plumbago zeylanica (Tamil, MTL)

Pothana

Also Pathana: Grassland, sometimes with low shrubs (Sinhala); Poththaanai, Paththanai: The same as in Sinhala (Eezham Tamil); from Puthal, Puthar: Grass, low jungle, bush (Tamil, DED 4509); Patham: Tender grass (Tamil, DED 3907). See columns on Azhignchil-poththaanai and Poththuvil

The word Thikku, meaning the cardinal and intermediate directions in Tamil, is a cognate of the Sanskrit/ Indo-Aryan word, Dis/ Dik, meaning the same.

However, in Jaffna Tamil usage of the past, the word seemed to have had an additional meaning, i.e., a land, the directions or boundaries of which are defined by title deeds.

The above meaning is entered in the Tamil dictionaries complied in Jaffna in the 19th century for the phrases Thikkadaippu (Thikku-adaippu) and Thikkellai (Thikku-ellai).

The Madras Tamil Lexicon notes the above phrases as Jaffna usage.

The word Thikku has further meanings such as shelter, refuge etc., in Tamil (MTL, inscriptions, SII, vii, 863, 1012 CE). It also means the medicinal herb Plumbago zelanica that is commonly called Kodu-veali, Kodu-veari or Chitramoolam (MTL).

Pothaana or Pathana in Sinhala, corresponding to Poththaanai and Paththanai in Tamil, means grassland, sometimes found with low shrubs. The words are of Dravidian etymology, related to Puthal/ Puthar or Patham – all meaning grass (DED 4509, 3907). See columns on Azhignchil-poththaanai and Poththuvil for discussions and related place names.

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Thikkam is a coastal village in Vadamaraadchi Northeast division of Jaffna district.

Thikkam-pothana is in Kahatagas-digiliya division of Anuradhapura district. Like many other place names in the district, this seems to be a recently Sinhalicized place name.

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Some related place names:

Thikkarai: Probably meaning a defined land; Kayts division, Jaffna district. Thikkarai (Thikku-karai) is a synonym of Thikkadaippu and Thikkellai.

First published: Tuesday, 23 April 2013, 23:48